Lovely Traces
by UnderdogAngel
Summary: After all the crap we took in middle school, and after the accident, things seem to be turning around for me and my best friends when we meet the Sohmas. But what is it that makes their family so...mysterious?
1. Some Explaining To Do

**This story, as with a lot of mine, went through a lot of edits before I found a..."style," I suppose, that I liked. It mirrors the anime **_**Fruits Basket**_**, but some parts are from the manga. Tohru does not appear in the story, but the rest of the characters do. I do not own any characters beyond my three OCs. They Sohmas and others are property of Natsuki Takaya and...any other credit where it's due X] This first chapter is just kind of an intro for my original characters... The story really starts in chapter 2. If you want chapter 2, tell me so! If you like the story, let me know! (Have I made a rhyme?) Reviews speed up the time between posts, too. Okay, I'm done talking now. Go ahead and read.**

**-I. Some Explaining To Do-**

I peeked through the window on the door. "Come on..." Miki muttered angrily (nothing new there).

"The coast is clear," I said. "Let's go." I pushed the door open as quietly as possible, and Miki, Sachiko, and I crept into the building.

You may think, from what I just told you, that we were robbing a bank or breaking in somewhere we weren't supposed to. Well, we weren't. We were sneaking into our school. Not to get test answers or anything (we didn't exactly need them). We were sneaking into the locker room to use the showers.

I think I have some explaining to do. My name's Kiku Oshiro, and the other girls I mentioned before are my best friends in the whole world: Miki Miyamoto, and Sachiko Fujioka. You're probably still wondering why we were sneaking into the school to use the showers. Why didn't we just use the showers we had in our house? Because our house (if you wanted to call it that) had no electricity, no heating system, no air conditioning, no running water... Get the idea?

We didn't live in a house. We lived in a tent. Okay, so I've got more explaining to do.

About three months before, there had been what you'd call an accident. We lost our families in that accident. My mom, Miki's grandparents (she called them her parents; they had been her guardians at the time), and Sachiko's parents. This left all three of us parentless.

After the accident, we all had to decide where to live. We'd been friends all through elementary school and middle school, and we weren't about to split up then. I still had some family on my dad's side, and my grandfather offered to take us in. It wasn't roomy, but we were together.

Then we got news that my aunt and two of my cousins (a boy and a girl, both older) were coming to live in my grandfather's house. Well, there certainly wasn't room for all eight of us in that house, so Grandpa decided to do a little remodeling.

Then the three of us, in secret, made plans as to where we would stay during the rennovations. A hotel was out; we didn't have enough money. Staying with my relatives was out; they (my aunt and cousins) disapproved of us being there anyway.

That's when Sachiko came up with a brilliant plan: We would find a way to live on our own until the rennovations were done, and then we could move back into the bigger and better house without having to hear any complaints from my relatives.

And that's how we came to live in a tent in the woods and to take showers in the school locker room every morning.

As for our ages (which is something everyone wonders about), here's how it went. Sachiko was the youngest at fifteen, and in her last year of middle school. Miki and I were the same age, sixteen, and in our first year of high school.

I think we were all so determined to stay together because we knew we were the only ones who could understand each other's craziness. But then I think everyone's crazy in one way or another.

And it wasn't like we lazed around all the time. We had jobs. Miki, Sachiko, and I worked as janitors in an office building in the city. We got by alright. We supported each other and were there for each other, no matter what. And we loved each other, regardless of our faults (who doesn't have them?).

I'll start with Miki. She is easily angered, but mostly if someone insults her or someone around her. I guess you could call it justified anger. We had all taken martial arts when we were kids, but she had shown the greatest advancement. She could knock a man twice her size flat on his back in two seconds. It was for this reason that not many of the other students messed with us. Once you get to know her, though, she's really a caring person. I can't remember a time when she hurt one of us, but she'd dealt her fair share of blows in her day.

Miki had dark brown, almost black, hair that fell just past her shoulders, and a thin fringe of bangs crossed her forehead. Her eyes, which matched her hair perfectly, always glinted with just a little bit of annoyance, even when she was laughing. Maybe we had just seen it so much that it had become part of her expression, and we thought nothing of it.

Sachiko (we called her Saki for short) could seem conniving at times, but that was just how she was. Her grin made you think she was up to something. She usually was. She loved causing mischief. And if anyone ever tried to insult her or anyone else, she always had a snappy comeback that was just perfect. I usually don't think of those until three hours later, so I admire her for that. She didn't take crap from anybody. She was very confident in who she was. Another thing that was interesting about her: she had a kind of sixth sense about certain things. She could "sense" when we were near, and sometimes even the feelings of those around her. She didn't understand it herself, but none of us really felt we needed to.

Sachiko had shorter hair, coming just about to her chin. Her hair, also, was almost black, and red-pink streaks ran throughout. Her eyes were a lighter brown than Miki's, and instead of glinting with annoyance or anger, hers glinted with something that would've looked evil on anyone but her.

As for myself...well, I didn't think I was all that special. (You know what they say: "You're your own harshest critic.") I had thick, brown hair (with blonde highlights) that had been layered, and just brushed my shoulders. Purple streaks were arranged just so among the layers. I had bangs across my forehead that I was constantly blowing or brushing out of my face. Mom had never liked it when I'd had bangs across my forehead. She'd said it hid too much of my "pretty face." I think the only thing I liked about my face were my eyes. My eyes were a blue-green, and I liked them very much.

My friends had many words to describe me. Fun. Caring. Awesome. Optimistic. Empathatic (I could feel the emotions of people around me). I tried to be all of those things, but that was sometimes hard. I was very sensitive and teared up over the littlest things. I could be stubborn, and refuse to budge. I had a habit of hiding my feelings from everyone (except my best friends, who could read me like a book). I usually hid anger, or sadness, or disapproval, or fear. But give me any positive emotion, and you'll know I'm feeling it. I jumped up and down when I was happy. Danced when I was really happy. And I had a laugh that Sachiko called "contagious."

It wasn't that I was unhappy with who I was (though I sometimes felt that way). I believed, more than most anything, that everyone should be happy with who they are and what they're born with. It's not like we can go back to some store and return our nose because it's too small or return our eyes because we don't like the color. I guess I just...found it hard to believe the (few) compliments people gave me. It was mostly on my clothes, which I didn't wear much because of our uniforms for school.

Getting back to school, let me tell you about the day when everything changed. Again.

We finished our showers, blow-dried our hair (the school was bustling by then; no one would hear), and sneaked out to blend in with the other students. Sachiko hurried off to get to the middle school (just down the street from the high school), and Miki and I went to our lockers.

"Think anyone saw?" Miki asked quietly.

"I don't think so," I whispered back.

"Good," she said. "'Cause if they had, I'd beat them so bad, it'll hurt to remember." I looked at her and she sighed. "I'm trying my best, Kiku."

"I know," I said quietly.

After the accident, Miki had lost a lot of control over her outbursts, and they became more and more frequent. Sachiko and I understood her reasons, and we just tried to calm her down as best we could.

The rest of the day passed as any ordinary day would've. We picked up Sachiko on our way to work, and then went to the office building. We worked late that night, and it was all we could do to get back to our tent by the stream. We went in, zipped up the door, and went to sleep.

No, that wasn't the day that everything changed. The day after that... Just keep reading...


	2. The Prince And Us

**Okay, so maybe the first chapter wasn't interesting enough -_-' Anywhoo, here's where the story really starts! Please review to let me know what you think! Thanks for reading!**

**-II. The Prince and Us-**

The next day, we woke to find that it was sunny and warm. Instead of running the risk of sneaking into school, we decided to put on our bathing suits and wash our hair in the stream. Yeah, we did what we could to stay clean. Don't judge us.

We went back to the tent, got dressed, and headed out. Miki and I looked up when Sachiko veered off our usual path.

"Where're you going?" I asked.

"I know a shortcut," she replied. Miki and I shrugged and ran after her.

"Since when do we take shortcuts?" I asked.

Sachiko smiled. "Since I decided I'm tired of walking so much."

"This coming from the girl who broke the fastest time for the mile in her entire school's history," Miki grumbled.

"And this coming from the girls who came second and third?" Sachiko countered.

We rolled our eyes and continued following her.

She stopped walking suddenly, and we nearly ran into her.

"What is it, Saki?" I asked.

Miki and I leaned over to look around her shoulders. It was a house.

"Whoa," Miki said. "Did either of you know there was a house here?"

Sachiko and I shook our heads.

"Wonder who lives here..." Sachiko said, moving through the bushes toward the house.

"Saki!" we hissed, but she didn't listen.

Miki sighed annoyedly and followed.

"Guys..." I said. "I don't think we should-"

"Oh, come on, Kiku," Sachiko said. "What could go wrong?"

Lots of things, I thought as I followed them.

The side door was open, showing what looked like a sitting room, or maybe a dining room. Who could really tell?

"Looks a little...empty," Miki said.

"Must be nice, it being so quiet and all," Sachiko said.

Some painted rocks, set out on the porch, caught our eyes. They were painted to look like the twelve animals of the Chinese Zodiac. I was about to comment on the little painted rocks, when-

"Well, well, well..."

We all jumped and I even yelped a little.

"Do my eyes deceive me or are there three strange young girls standing on my porch?"

"Hey! What's the big idea scaring us like that?" Miki demanded.

Sachiko remained quiet, but I started apologizing.

"We're so sorry!" I said. "We were just looking! We didn't mean to barge in our anyth-!"

The man chuckled and I stopped talking. (I use the term "man" loosely; he was probably somewhere in his twenties.) "It's alright. I just them out to dry," he said, motioning to the painted rocks. "No harm done. But...I have to wonder how these silly little things could attract you girls' interest."

"They're not silly!" Sachiko said, finding her voice. "They're really cool!"

He chuckled again. "Yes, I am quite fond of them myself."

I looked at the rocks again and sighed quietly. "Oh, I should've known..." They all looked at me. "You forgot the cat."

"The cat?" the man asked.

"She's obsessed with the old folk tale," Miki said.

"And why shouldn't I be?" I asked. "My mom told it to me all the time when I was little."

I could see her so clearly in my mind's eye, as if she were sitting right in front of me, telling me the story again.

_"Once upon a time, God decided to invite all the animals to a banquet. He sent word for everyone to come to His house the next day. 'And don't be late,' He said. When the mischevious rat heard the news, he decided to play a trick on his neighbor, the cat. He told the cat that the party was the day after tomorrow._

_"The next day, all the animals went to the banquet. The rat lead the way, riding all the way there on the back of the cow. Everyone had a wonderful time. Except for the foolish cat, who missed the entire thing."_

I remembered my reaction, too. I had cried.

_"Hey, why are you crying?"_

_"Because," I sobbed, "that poor cat... He must be so lonely... I know, I won't be a dog anymore! I'll be a cat, too!"_

The man speaking again brought me out of my memory. "Funny," he laughed softly. "I wonder what he'll say when he hears he has a fan..."

We looked at each other, then back at him. "'He'?" Sachiko asked.

He avoided the question. "So you were born in the Year of the Dog?"

I nodded.

"I knew there was something I liked about you, aside from your pretty faaa-!"

His statement (which I really didn't want to hear the end of) was cut off by a backpack hitting him in the back of the head.

"Please excuse my cousin, Miss Miyamoto, Miss Fujioka, Miss Oshiro."

We all looked to see who had swung the backpack, and found none other than the "prince" of Miki's and my school, Yuki Sohma!

"He's a bit of a flirt, but he's harmless. It's best to just ignore him."

With his mop of blue-grey hair and his big purple eyes, it wasn't hard to see why so many girls liked Yuki.

Miki just seemed shocked that he knew her name.

Oh my gosh, I thought. He's the most popular guy in school! And he's standing right in front of us. I looked around. And we're standing in front of his house!

"What do you have in there, a dictionary?" Yuki's cousin asked, running his hands through his black hair, looking for the bump Yuki's backpack had surely made.

"No, I have two," Yuki replied matter-of-factly.

The three of us stifled our laughter.

"So you're some of Yuki's friends from school?" Yuki's cousin asked, now recovered from his injury.

Pretty much, I thought.

"Let's start over. I'm Shigure, Yuki's older and much less violent cousin."

"Nice to meet you!" we said together.

"I'm Sachiko Fujioka."

"Miki Miyamoto."

"Kiku Oshiro."

"So tell me, ladies, what brings you to our home this morning?" Yuki asked.

"Oh, well we live-"

"Nearby," Miki said, cutting Sachiko off.

"Really?" he asked. "Where?"

"Um, right!" I said.

They looked at us like we were insane.

How are we supposed to tell them we're living in a tent? I screeched in my head.

"Well, it was lovely meeting you," I said. "But we'd better get-"

"Wait, ladies," Yuki said, stopping our escape. "Since you're here, why don't we all walk to school together?"

"Uh..." we all said. It wasn't like we could say no, was it?

So that's how we ended up walking to school with Yuki. Sachiko didn't seem nervous (of course, she didn't see him at school every day like Miki and I did), and I didn't feel too nervous, but Miki seemed unusually subdued. Interesting, I thought. I'll ask her about it at school.

My thoughts were interrupted (since I think so much, they're often interrupted) again, this time by a familiar group of girls doing a cheer.

"L-O-V-E! We love Yuki! Yuki! Yuki! La-la-la-la-la! La-la-la-la-love!" The fan club girls struck a pose, waiting for Yuki to say something.

He just walked right by like they weren't even there.

"Yuki!" they wailed.

I could tell Miki was about ready to run over and beat them up.

Sachiko noticed, too, so we each grabbed one of her arms. Not the time or place, I thought, glancing at Yuki.

Unfortunately the fan club girls attacked as soon as Sachiko had gone to her school, and Yuki had split from us.

"Okay, start talking!" they ordered.

Miki already looked like she was boiling, so the fan club girls were not helping the situation.

"What were you doing walking to school with Prince Yuki? Details! And they'd better be good!"

"I-it was just a coincidence," I stuttered before Miki had a chance to say something that would get her in trouble.

"That'd better be all it was, Miss Kiku! For your sake, and your friend's here," the head girl said, nodding to Miki.

"Uh-huh," Miki said, rather bored with the whole thing already.

"Every girl in Kaiwaia High class 1-D knows that Yuki Sohma's the best-looking boy in school!"

"And he's intelligent!"

"And great at sports!"

I didn't like the look of the "stars" (there was no better word for what they were) in their eyes.

"And, FYI, we're the Prince Yuki Fan Club! We've got first dibs, you hear?"

"Hey!"

"What?" they shouted, looking at Miki.

"Mind your own freaking business!" she practically yelled. "Before I break those big noses of yours!"

"Miki!" I grabbed both her arms and held her back. Miki was strong, but I wasn't exactly a weakling. (The proof was in the number of fights I had aided Miki and Sachiko in all throughout our elementary -and some of our middle school- years.)

"You can't scare us with that thug talk!"

I raised an eyebrow at them.

Miki looked up at me, raising an eyebrow, as if saying, "Are they serious?"

I looked back at the girls. "You want me to let her go? Because, I promise you, if I do that, you won't have a single bone left intact in your entire body."

Adding emphasis to this statement, Miki growled and lashed out at them with a free (by my allowance) hand.

The girls screamed and ran off.

"Gosh, I hate them," Miki said, picking up her books.

I asked her about Yuki before class started. "What was with you this morning?"

"Hmm?" she asked, looking up from her book (which she was pretending to be engrossed in; I knew she was pretending because the book was upside down).

"You were so quiet," I said. "Quiet's never been your strong point."

She gave me a look.

I smiled.

She sighed. "Okay... I was just so nervous! I can't believe he asked to walk to school with us!"

"I know," I said. "Boy, is he ever mysterious. I heard that one of those fan club girls tried to ask him out one time, but he just pushed her away. Literally! Right in the hall! He left her there on the floor and ran off."

"Weird," Miki said.

"Yeah," I agreed.

We stopped talking as the teacher went to the front of the class and began his lecture.

Weird how Saki decided to take that shorcut and we ended up meeting Yuki, I thought. But I guess lots of weird things are happening today.

**Reviews mean updates! Let me know what you think so far! Thanks :)**


	3. The Past Does Some Haunting

**Hmm...no reviews yet? That's alright. I'll just keep posting and hope that it stirs up someone's interest :) Thanks to those of you who are reading! I'd love to hear what you think! Until then, here's Chapter 3!**

**-III. The Past Does Some Haunting-**

We met Sachiko outside the school at the end of the day, and we were going to head off to work, when we ran into Yuki again.

"Oh, Yuki, it's you! I mean... Hi," Miki said.

Sachiko and I looked at each other curiosly. What was up with her?

Yuki chuckled. "It seems we're beginning to make a habit of bumping into each other. Why don't we walk home together?"

"Okay!" I said happily. Work was right on the way anyway.

"It was fun meeting your cousin this morning," Sachiko said. "He was funny. And those little rocks he made were really cute."

Yuki smiled a little. "I'm glad you liked him, Miss Fujioka." Then he looked at me. "Miss Oshiro, I thought I heard you say something about how you wished there was a Year of the Cat...?"

"Oh," I said, blushing a little. "It's an idea I had when I was a kid. Silly, really..."

"Cats," Yuki said disgustedly. "Useless, foolish creatures."

We all stopped walking, stunned by his statement.

He stopped as well. "Tell me, Miss Oshiro, how much do you know about the Chinese Zodiac?"

"Well..." I said cautiously, "I know the old stories my mom told me... I guess not much."

"Did you know it started as nothing more than a simple calendar? A way to mark the passage of time? It wasn't until later that it was used for things like astrology and fortune telling."

"Oh," I said. "So I guess the story about the animals isn't true then?" I hadn't ever really thought it was true, but it was sort of nice to think so.

"No, it isn't," he said. "I don't know when or why the animals were brought in, but never in the history of the Zodiac has the Cat ever been included. Yet, as the story is told, it still yearns to be accepted. Like I say, a truly foolish creature."

We stood in silence for a moment.

"Sounds like you really don't like cats," Miki said.

We were surprised that she had spoken, but we were more surprised at Yuki's expression. It was like he wanted to laugh at a joke, but didn't because he knew we wouldn't understand.

A gust of wind blew some leaves off of the tree we were standing under. Yuki leaned closer to Miki and caught a leaf before it hit her face.

"I noticed before that you were starting to look a bit pale, Miss Oshiro," he said, looking at me. "You should really take better care of yourself." He dropped the leaf to the ground, and started walking away. "Perhaps we'll bump into each other again tomorrow..."

A silence hung over us. It felt like minutes, but I knew it couldn't have been that long.

"Very mysterious, that one," Sachiko said. She looked at me. "You do look a little pale..." She tried to feel my forehead, but I pushed her hand away.

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that. We've got too much work to do! Let's go." I'm sure Mom had it much worse, I thought as we started walking away.

Then we noticed that Miki wasn't following. She was still staring at the spot where Yuki had been standing only moments ago.

We shook our heads.

"Come on, Miki," I said.

"Time to go to work," Sachiko said.

We each grabbed one of her arms and pulled her off to the office building.

**;;;;;**

She didn't really regain "consciousness" until we got inside the building.

We changed and got right to work. We mopped, scrubbed, took out the trash, whatever we could do. If it didn't move, we cleaned it.

Some of the other workers called us the hardest workers on the payroll, but we believed in earning our money. It wasn't right to get something for nothing.

We dragged ourselves home that night, completely exhausted. Again.

I'm not sick, I kept telling myself. Even if you feel warm, you don't have a fever. You don't have a fever. You don't have a fever.

**3_3_3_3_3**

"Ah," Shigure sighed. "We keep eating out like this, and I'll have to buy a bigger robe."

"So why don't _you_ do the cooking?" Yuki asked annoyedly.

"Whenever I make dinner, you complain," Shigure answered.

"Pickled radish and curry is not dinner," Yuki said, clearly disgusted by just the thought of that particular dish. "I think one complaint is more or less justified."

Shigure chuckled. "Yuki, you've got a good head on your shoulders, but I just don't think you're cut out for housework. Let's get a housekeeper?"

"No." Yuki's tone would make one think that Shigure had asked this question before, and that Yuki was tired of putting up with it.

Yuki stopped walking. "Hold up," he said.

He and Shigure looked off the path, through the trees, and saw three familiar figures.

Yuki cocked his head to the side wonderingly. "Miss Miyamoto? Miss Fujioka? Miss Oshiro?"

They were headed towards a tent.

"Are they...living in that tent?" he wondered aloud.

Shigure made no answer.

**3_3_3_3_3**

We collapsed onto our sleeping bags, sighing heavily.

"I am going to leave a wake-up call for next summer," Miki said, running a hand through her dark hair.

"Me, too," Sachiko said.

"We can't," I said.

They both sat up and looked at me.

"Miki, you and I still have that paper for English to write. And Saki, didn't you say you had an assignment due for History?"

They both groaned and flopped back on their pillows.

"We have to keep our grades up. That was part of the deal we made in getting to stay together."

Miki groaned again. "Sometimes I really hate school."

We heard something that sounded a lot like footsteps outside the tent, and we all sat up, our backs stiff.

"Did you hear that?" Sachiko whispered.

Miki and I nodded.

We quietly moved to the front of the tent.

"What if it's an animal?" Miki asked.

"Well, we won't know unless we look," I said.

I put my hand on the zipper, trying to convince myself to just open the door. It's probably just a chipmunk, I told myself. And with that knowledge in my head, I unzipped the tent.

The three of us came face-to-face with none other than Yuki and Shigure.

Our eyes widened, and we all looked at each other in silence for a few moments.

Then Shigure burst out laughing.

I can't speak for Miki and Sachiko, since it was dark, but I knew that my own face was bright red and burning.

"Shigure, don't you think you're over-doing it a little?" Yuki asked.

**;;;;;**

After a lot of persuading on Yuki's part, we were convinced to go back to their house with them.

We knelt down in front of their table and they knelt across from us.

Shigure was still sniggering, his hand over his mouth (which completely failed to hide his overwhelming amusement).

"So, how long have you three been living out there?" Yuki asked.

We all shrugged.

"A little over a week, maybe?" I said.

"Well, that explains it."

We waited for him to continue.

"All of this land is Sohma property. It seemed odd that we'd suddenly have a new neighbor."

Great, their family _is_ prestigious, I thought. That just helps us so much.

"We're sorry," Sachiko said. "But please...can't you just let us stay there a little while longer?"

"It'd only be for a few more weeks," I said, "and then we'd go!"

"We don't have much money, but we can pay you," Miki offered. "Please let us stay?"

"Those woods aren't too safe."

We all looked at Shigure, surprised that he had suddenly stopped laughing.

"You've got wild animals, landslides, even the occasional weirdo prowling around. It's not too safe for three young girls such as yourselves to be out there."

"So, you're done laughing now?" Yuki asked.

"Don't worry about us!" I said, standing up. "We're already used to all the bugs, and we... Oh..." I suddenly felt very faint, and slumped back to my knees, Sachiko and Miki catching me.

"Kiku!"

I suddenly found Yuki at my side as well. "A fever," he said, gently touching his hand to my forehead.

"You worry too much," Miki hissed at me.

"Shut. Up," Sachiko hissed back at her. "Don't make her feel worse than she already does."

Okay, I told myself, so you _are_ sick.

"Ice! I'll get ice!" Shigure said, jumping up. He slid back a door that I assumed led to a kitchen, but it could've been a garbage dump from what I saw. "It's in here...somewhere..."

Miki snorted once. "And you call the woods unsafe?"

"Well, relatively speaking," Shigure said, smiling nervously.

Suddenly, his smile faded, and he looked very serious.

I thought I heard a wolf howling in the distance.

"There, you hear that? There's just been another landslide."

Sachiko narrowed her eyes at him.

I, with great effort, raised an eyebrow.

"How can you tell?" Sachiko asked.

"Call it instinct," Shigure answered.

"Was it close?" Yuki asked from his place in front of a cabinet with medicine in it.

"Close to the tent- I mean, _not at alllll_!" he sang.

I suddenly found my energy again and ran out of the house.

Miki and Sachiko were right behing me, and Yuki and Shigure were some distance behind us. Like I said before, we were the three fastest girls in our schools; it took a lot of stamina to keep up with us.

We stopped when we got to our tent. Or...at least, where it had been. We stared in horror at the gigantic mound of dirt, rocks, and plants that now covered our home.

"My mom's picture was still in there!" I threw myself on the ground and started clawing at the dirt. "Mom! I'm coming, Mom!"

"Stop," Sachiko said, grabbing one of my arms.

Miki grabbed the other. "It's okay, Kiku."

"No!" I cried, ripping my arms from their grasp.

I looked up, my vision blurred by my tears, to find Yuki kneeling next to me.

"They're right," he said.

"You're mother's probably glad it wasn't you in there. All of your parents," Shigure said, looking at Sachiko and Miki as well.

They looked at me sadly, and I felt fresh tears stinging my eyes.

"We'll come back when it's light, okay?" Shigure asked.

I sniffled and nodded.

Miki and Sachiko each took one of my arms again, and we slowly made our way back to Shigure's house.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, breaking the silence that before had only been broken by the sounds of twigs snapping under our feet, and various creatures cooing at us from their hiding places in the trees.

They smiled sadly at me.

"What are friends for, if not to get mad at every once in a while?" Miki said.

"You're one to talk," Sachiko said. "You blow up every day."

"I do not!"

"Do, too!"

I laughed, and their arguing turned into laughter as well.

**;;;;;**

Shigure and Yuki allowed us to stay the night, and set us up with blankets and mats on the living room floor (after we moved the table, of course).

We thanked them yet again for letting us stay, and they assured us that it was no trouble. Then we all said goodnight, the lights were turned out, and the door was shut.

I laid down and curled up under the unfamiliar blankets, feeling strangely comfortable.

The three of us lay in the dark for a while, soft moonlight streaming in through a window behind us.

I sensed that neither Miki nor Sachiko was asleep, and I think they knew I wasn't either.

"They really are nice, aren't they?" Miki asked quietly.

"I'll say," Sachiko said.

I merely nodded, even though I knew they couldn't see it in the dark.

"It's definitely better than the tent," Sachiko said.

"Heck yes," I mumbled tiredly.

I heard Miki shift under her blankets, and I turned my head to see her propped up on her elbow. "I think Yuki's still looking for some ice, Kiku. I can go ask..."

"No," I said. "No, it's alright. I just... I don't want to be too much trouble."

"You always say that," Sachiko said. "And then you end up being the most trouble."

I laughed softly and I turned to see her smile.

"Well, I, for one, am tired," Miki said. "It's a lot to happen in one day."

"Mm-hmm," Sachiko and I said together.

We were silent for a moment.

"We...we lost our home again," I said.

More silence.

"Hey, we'll be okay," Miki said.

"You bet we will," Sachiko agreed.

"Mm-hmm," I said. "It [i]is[/i] sad. But...I guess not as sad as other things."

We all knew what that meant. But still we talked.

"Like what?" Sachiko asked.

I exhaled. "Like...not telling Mom 'Be safe' on the day she died."

They had both heard this story a million times, and I had heard their stories of that day a million times, but it seemed like none of us ever got tired of retelling and rehearing.

"I said that every morning. 'Bye, be safe.' Except that morning. I didn't say it. I had a test, so I stayed up studying almost the whole night."

They always laughed a little at that part, remembering how studious I had been, and was still.

"When it was time for Mom to go to work...I didn't wake up. I couldn't tell her to be safe."

My voice grew tight, and tears stung my eyes again.

"And she never came home."

None of us got to say goodbye that day. But we all had our own takes on it.

Sachiko's parents had been in the car with my mom. They all worked together. Sachiko had been out running that morning, just like she had once done every morning. Her heartache lay in the fact that her run had led her right past the crash site. She always told us that it was an image she would never forget, no matter how much she wanted to. She said she would never forget what she had felt near that place: pain, sorrow...death.

She almost never cried, but that day...that day it seemed like she would cry until there was not a drop of water left in her entire body. After that day, she vowed she would never cry again. She would feel sadness, but never again would a tear leave her eye. I think it was because she said there could never be a greater sadness than seeing a scene of death and horror like the one she'd seen. So, to her, nothing was worth the tears after that.

Miki carried a different kind of heartache: guilt that she chose to expel by anger. Her birth parents had died when she was a baby, leaving her grandparents (who she had always referred to as her parents) to raise her. They had gone to the grocery store that morning for something that she had asked them to get.

She always told us, in her usual angry tone (but mixed with tears), that if she hadn't asked them to go to the store, they wouldn't have been in the accident. That none of them would've been. They'd still be with us. It was after the accident that she lost control of her temper more and more often...because of the guilt that she felt obligated to carry on her shoulders. Even though we told her over and over that none of us had any way of knowing what would happen that morning, she still just shook her head, thinking that the blame was all her own.

The accident changed us all. That night, we talked about it all over again, Miki and I very near tears.

We talked about how we had considered quitting school and working, but our various guardians had wanted us so badly to finish school.

My mom never finished school, but she had said that she always wished that she had.

So I stayed in school for her. I wanted to make her proud of me. I wanted to do what she had always wanted me to do. She worked so hard, and she did it all for me. Because that was how much she loved me. She did so much for me, and I couldn't even get up to tell her "Be safe" when she was walking out the door. Not even that one little thing. After all that, I figured the least I could do for her was finish high school like she wanted me to.

Miki and Sachiko told me that they would've dropped out, had it not been for me. I still don't really know if that's true or not. With Miki and Sachiko, it's very hard to tell.

So, I told myself as I was drifting off to sleep, I won't let a little fever get in the way of that. I can't give up because...of a...fever...

**3_3_3_3_3**

Shigure blinked away a few tears himself as the girls' talking quieted and they went to sleep.

A cool breeze blew through the house.

"It's amazing."

He looked up at Yuki.

"They always seem so cheerful at school. Best friends having fun together... You'd never guess that they've been suffering like this for so long.

"When I was young, there were many times that I wanted to run away from Sohma House, but I never did. I could always find some rationalization to stay.

"The fact of the matter is I just wasn't strong enough, or I could've left. I could've lived on my own in the woods in a tent. I could've done what she- ...they did."

Shigure wondered at his cousin's correction, but didn't ask about it. "You can call it amazing, but I don't think the word does it justice."

Yuki smiled a little and thought of the three girls sleeping just in the next room. "No," he said. "No, it doesn't."

Shigure was about to ask about his correcting himself, but Yuki sensed the question, and, knowing he didn't want to answer, posed his own question.

"Do you mind keeping an eye on them? I'd like to go out for a while."

Shigure completely forgot his previous question. "What? Where? You're not going to try digging out that tent?"

Yuki made no answer.

"You are, aren't you? Would you like me to come with you? It won't be easy alone."

"You're right," Yuki said, turning to face Shigure. Yuki's purple eyes began glowing. "But I don't think I said I was going alone..." He slipped -almost floated- out of the house, something that sounded like a whole nest of...rats scurrying and squeaking along after him.

"Be safe, Yuki..."

**Please review, if you should feel the inclination to :) Thanks for reading!**


	4. This Has GOT To Be A Dream

**GASP A review! Thank you so much, animecookiefairy (and for your reviews on "Ordinary Day" as well)! You requested another chapter, so here it is! Anyone else out there who's reading this, I'd love to hear your thoughts!**

**Here's chapter 4!**

**-IV. This Has GOT To Be A Dream-**

I dreamt of my mom that night.

_"Kiku? Kiku... Oh, you've got a fever again. You shouldn't worry so much! Just relax, and do things your own way, one step at a time. You'll get there... I promise. Just be yourself. You'll be fine..."_

My eyes slowly cracked open, sunlight streaming into them. When my eyes focused, I saw my mom's picture sitting next to my pillow.

_"Just be yourself. You'll be fine..."_

"Huh?" I asked myself, sitting up. I picked up the picture. "Mom, you're here. But how-?"

"Good morning," a familiar voice said cheerfully.

The three of us all sat up, suddenly very awake. Miki certainly was, because she was running her hands through her hair like her life depended on it.

What is up with her lately, I mean, really? I wondered as we stood up.

"How are you feeling today, Miss Oshiro?"

"Oh, um..." I mumbled. "Better, thank you."

"That's good to hear," he said with a small smile. "I've brought all your things for you," he said, gesturing to our familiar belongings near the door. "I think it's all of them, if you'd like to check."

We gasped quietly.

"Yuki," Miki said. She was already getting better at talking around him. "This must've taken you all night!"

He laughed a little. "Don't be silly."

"So, then, how did you-? I mean, there was so much-"

"It's a secret," he cut in.

We were silent.

"Oh..." I said quietly.

"I know the place is dirty," he said.

"Hmm?" Sachiko asked.

"And I know the idea of living with two strange boys might sound a little awkward."

I felt very confused.

"But this is a big house. There's plenty of room if you'd like to stay."

Oh, now I get it! I screeched in my head.

"Huh?" I asked aloud. "No, no, no, out of the question!" I cried, shaking my head violently.

"Your head's gonna fly off," Miki muttered, clearly disapproving of my, well...disapproval.

"We're not _that_ strange..." Yuki said.

"No, she didn't mean-"

"Of course it won't be free."

We all yelped and jumped at the sound of Shigure cutting Sachiko off.

"I do intend to pay you for your services."

We looked at each other, blinked, and then looked back at him.

"Um...services?" Miki asked.

"As our brand-new housekeepeeerrs!" he sang. "We'll just take your things to your rooms. I'm sure all your references will check out?"

References? I wondered.

"Wait!" Miki said.

"This is too much!" Sachiko said.

"We can't let you do this!" I said. "Not after all the trouble you've gone through already!"

"Ladies," Yuki said, turning to us. "We're doing this because we want to. Don't worry that it's any trouble to us. And besides, where else can you go?"

This question hadn't occured to us. We couldn't go back to the woods. We couldn't go to my grandfather's (at least not yet). Really, we had no place else to go.

"Okay, but if we're going to stay here, we're going to work for room and board, and that's it," Miki said.

"We don't want any money," I said.

"And we want to know all the rules of the house!" Sachiko said.

"Relax, it's alright," Yuki said. "You three can do things your own way here." He paused for a moment, smiling at us. "All you have to do is be yourselves. Fair enough?"

My mom's words echoed in my head.

_"Just be yourself. You'll be fine..."_

"Oh...kay," Miki said quietly.

**;;;;;**

Shigure and Yuki went for a short walk later that morning, allowing some time for the girls to settle into their new rooms. (They each had their own.)

"I don't know," Shigure said. "Do you really think it's a good idea having girls in the house?"

Yuki rolled his eyes. "Naturally, _now_ it occurs to you to worry. But I wouldn't. We'll be okay," he said, not noticing the figure standing in the tree above them, "as long as they don't try to hug us."

**;;;;;**

I guess everything turned out okay, I thought. But I'm still not quite sure how we ended up in Yuki's house. I looked down at the clothes I was wearing. The pants were sinched around my waist with a belt, and hung loosely around my ankles. I had to roll the sleeves up on the shirt to find my hands. Oh, well, at least they're clothes, I thought. But I'm also not sure how we ended up borrowing some of Yuki's clothes either.

"Sorry these rooms are a little stuffy," Yuki said, opening the window in my new room (Miki's and Sachiko's were just down the hall). "We usually keep these rooms closed off, so it's probably best to leave the windows open for a while."

I heard something like creaking from the roof, and looked up as if I could see through the roof to find it's source.

Miki and Sachiko appeared in the doorway.

"Do you hear that?" Sachiko asked.

I nodded.

Before any of us could take a guess at what was causing the creaking, something fell through the roof! We all jumped back in surprise, but Yuki stood next to the window, merely glancing over his shoulder, as if this happened every morning.

When the dust settled, our eyes found, not an animal, as I had suspected, but a guy! He looked about our age, and was very handsome. His hair was bright orange, and his eyes were a fiery red. He wore no shoes on his feet, and was wearing a black V-neck shirt -a bit of his stomach showing-, green khaki cargo pants, suspenders hanging down on the back, and a brown belt hanging loosely around the waist.

The other thing I noticed was a bracelet around his left wrist. It was simple, nothing fancy. Just a simple circle of alternating black and white beads. I'd never seen many guys wearing jewelry, so I thought to myself that maybe it was important to him for some reason or another. Why would he have worn it otherwise?

My heart jumped a little as I looked at him. Okay, I thought. Maybe now I can understand what Miki feels when she's around Yuki.

Ohhhhh! I thought, looking at Miki. That means she-!

"Yo," the guy said, standing up from where he had been crouching.

I could only guess that he was speaking to Yuki, since he wasn't looking at us.

"Time to pay the piper, rat boy. I'm here to collect."

Yuki chuckled mockingly, leaning back on the windowsill. "Funny. I would've thought he'd send somebody bigger."

The guy growled. "Yeah, you better get that tough talk out of the way while you can, 'cause I'm about to wipe that stupid little smirk right off your face!"

Now, as I said before, I had had martial arts training, but I believed in using them only when necessary, instead of actively seeking fights. So, naturally, when I saw the guy lunge at Yuki, I tried to stop him. (Miki and Sachiko told me later that they thought that trying to stop a guy like that was totally insane; but, then again, I never really have been in my right mind.)

"Wait! Stop! Don't fight!" And, being the klutz that I am, I slipped on a piece of roofing that had fallen into the room, and landed right on the guy, my arms around his middle.

I heard he and Yuki gasp, and I could've sworn I saw a puff of orange smoke.

The room fell silent.

"Yuki?" Shigure asked carefully, poking his head into the room. "What were all those crashing sounds I just heard? Kyo's not here, is he?"

I figured this Kyo person was the guy I had just landed on.

I jumped up off of him. "I'm so sorry! Are you alright? I-!" My eyes widened when I found myself not holding the guy, but an orange cat.

I started shaking and looked at Miki and Sachiko. They looked as afraid as I felt.

"I...I turned him into a cat! AH! I'm so sorry! I don't know how it happened!" I cried, shaking him.

"Wait, Kiku..." Shigure said.

"We've gotta get some help!" Miki cried.

"Ladies..." Yuki said.

"We need to get him to a doctor!" Sachiko cried.

There was a crack, and suddenly two pieces of roofing fell from the ceiling onto Miki's and Sachiko's heads, nearly knocking them out.

"Sachiko!"

"Miss Miyamoto!"

They landed on Shigure and Yuki, and there were two more puffs of smoke (these ones blue and pink).

The three of us found ourselves looking at, not Shigure and Yuki, but a big black dog, and a little white rat with purple eyes.

The dog and the rat looked very worried, and the cat just looked like it was thinking, "Craaaap..."

This has _got_ to be a dream, I thought. They're all turning into animals!

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	5. The Sohma Curse

**Those of you who are reviewing, THANK YOU! :D animecookiefairy and xxEmiShaexx, thank you both so much for the reviews! Here's another chapter, as you requested! Enjoy!**

**-V. The Sohma Curse-**

Sachiko grabbed the dog, Miki picked up the rat, and, with the cat still in my arms, we ran downstairs as we heard the mailman pull up.

"Call a doctor!" Miki shouted. "Or a vet! Anybody!"

"Hello! Anyone home?" the man asked.

"Oh, Mr. Postman!" I cried. "It's terrible, you see? They're animals!"

He looked at the animals that had, not a moment ago, been humans, and smiled. "Why, yes, they certainly are!"

We all looked at each other, then back at him, all of us thinking the same thing. _You've got to be kidding me._

"Here's your mail."

Sachiko dropped the dog and started flailing wildly. "No! You don't understand! We've got to do something! We've got to-!"

She stopped when the dog gently took the mail from the man's hand.

The man laughed. "Wow! I wish my dog was trained that well! See you tomorrow!" And he left.

I sank to the ground, feeling faint again, and Miki and Sachiko knelt down next to me.

"What is going on?" I whispered.

A voice spoke before they could answer.

"Dammit! How am I supposed to come up with an explanation if you two transform, too?" the cat yelled.

"Don't you dare try to blame this on us, you stupid cat!" the rat retorted from his place atop the dog's head.

"Go ahead! Say that again!" the cat challenged.

"Stupid. Cat."

"Why you little-!"

"Cut it out! Both of you!" the dog interrupted.

We looked at the three of them, wide-eyed. The cat sounded like that guy, the rat sounded like Yuki, and the dog sounded like Shigure.

"You mean they talk too?" Miki asked wearily, clearly wondering what on earth was going on.

Join the club, I thought.

The dog sighed as the cat hissed at him and the rat from the corner. "There's no hiding it now. We might as well tell them the truth." He looked at us. "Miki, Kiku, Sachiko? I'm a dog. Yuki here, he's a rat." He looked over at the cat, now glaring into a corner. "That's Kyo. Don't let his temper scare you. He's got a bit of a chip on his shoulder."

We all looked at them for a moment.

"So, this is...normal?" Sachiko asked carefully.

"Strange choice of words," Shigure said, "but, yes, our family has lived with this curse for generations. We transform into the twelve animals of the Chinese Zodiac."

Kyo glared over his shoulder at Shigure.

"Sorry. The twelve animals, plus the cat. Anyway, whenever our bodies come under a great deal of stress, or when we're hugged by a member of the opposite sex, we transform. We do change back after a little while. The only thing is-"

He was cut off by three puffs of smoke (again orange, pink, and blue), and the three of us were blinded by the smoke.

"-we're naked," Shigure finished.

We yelped and ran out of the room.

We took a moment to think (which was very difficult to do at that moment).

"They're cursed," Miki said. "That explains a lot."

"Like that fan club girl," I said. "If Yuki turns into an animal every time he's hugged by a girl, that's why he pushed her away. He didn't want her to know his secret!"

"I knew this family was strange," Sachiko said.

"Since when?" Miki and I asked together. "Five minutes ago?"

After they had gotten dressed, we went back to the table downstairs.

We sat across from Yuki and Shigure. Kyo sat just outside the open door on the porch, his back to us.

"So we must seem pretty strange to you at this point, huh?" Shigure asked.

"Well...a little," Miki said.

"But you can't help it if your family's cursed," I added quickly.

"Kiku?" Shigure asked.

"Hmm?"

"Didn't you say you used to wish you could be a cat?"

"Oh, I did say that, didn't I?" I asked, remembering the day before when we had met Shigure and Yuki. It already seemed so long ago.

"What's it like, seeing the real thing?" he asked, pointing at Kyo.

I looked at Kyo. Right! I thought. It's the Cat from the Chinese Zodiac, like in the story! I felt myself smiling excitedly.

"Yes, it's hard to believe, I know!" Shigure said, waving his hand dismissevly.

"I'll say," Miki muttered.

"And I agree," Shigure continued, "the phrase 'cat-like reflexes' doesn't exactly apply to him, the way he let you fall on him like that."

Well, that was kind of my fault, I thought, not his.

"But he is a cat, albeit clumsier than most."

Well, I'm clumsier than most people, I thought.

I could feel the tension filling the room as I sensed Kyo's fuse growing shorter and shorter. Maybe I was so attuned to it from being Miki's best friend (or from having had such a short fuse myself), but I could've been wrong.

"Surprising really, considering the amount of martial arts training he's had. I'm sure he'd tell you the same thing himself, if he wasn't so busy brooding like a child."

Kyo grunted and jumped up, turning to face Shigure. "Will you shut up!" he yelled. "I told you, it's not my fault! If you wanna blame somebody, blame them!" He pointed a finger at the three of us. "They shouldn't even be here!"

"Why don't you come over here and say that to our faces, you jerk!" Miki yelled back, jumping up.

We grabbed her arms and pulled her back down (almost a reflex action for us).

Kyo glared at her, but looked a little surprised at the challenge.

"Leave them out of this," Yuki ordered, his tone much calmer than Kyo's. "Who we allow into this house is really none of your concern. You're the one who doesn't belong here."

Kyo growled again, and then delievered a chop to the table that cut it to pieces.

Just my clumsy bad luck, a piece hit me right square in the forehead, and then fell to the ground.

Kyo's expression surprised me. He gasped, and looked taken aback, as if he were surprised himself and was worried that it had hurt me.

"Kiku! Miki! You're bleeding!" Sachiko said worriedly.

"I am?" I asked, touching my fingers to my forehead.

We were both, indeed, bleeding. A piece must've hit Miki's head, too.

Yuki jumped up and crossed the room. When he reached Kyo, he sent a loud slap right across his face.

My eyes widened.

"My thoughts exactly," Miki said quietly, trying to suppress a grin.

"I knew that Kyo was reckless with his temper, but to act like this...?" Shigure mused.

"You're still as stupid as ever," Yuki said as Kyo rubbed his now red cheek. "And I'm going to prove it to you by giving you exactly what you want. Only this time," he said, unbuttoning one of the buttons on his shirt, "I won't hold back."

"Okay...sissy boy!" Kyo shouted, lunging for Yuki again.

Miki gasped. "No, Yuki!"

Yuki dodged Kyo's attempt to kick him in the head.

I couldn't really see the rest of the fight because Shigure had turned my head to tend to my wound.

"Don't worry, ladies," he said as he cleaned the cut. "This goes back a lot farther than today. Those two do nothing but fight whenever they see each other."

It sounded like the fight was getting intense, and I wanted to see, but Shigure wouldn't let me turn my head.

"But...shouldn't we stop them?" I asked.

He chuckled, putting a band-aid on my forehead and turning to tend to Miki. "No, it's okay. It'll all be over in a second," he said, glancing over his shoulder at Yuki and Kyo, still fighting.

Yuki dodged a couple more of Kyo's attempts to land a blow, then grabbed his shirt and pulled him closer. He then delivered a swift kick to Kyo's chest, and he flew through the door and out into the yard. Kyo landed on some rocks, and didn't move.

"I told you I wouldn't hold back," Yuki said. "You should've listened."

All of our eyes widened.

"He..."

"Wow..."

"He sent him flying..."

"Yuki, try not to destroy the house, okay?" Shigure asked carefully.

"I didn't mean to put him in the yard," Yuki said. "He should really learn to keep his guard up." He then noticed the band-aids on our foreheads. "Miss Oshiro, Miss Miyamoto...you're hurt?"

"Oh, no, we're fine! Really!" Miki said, waving her hands in front of her.

I looked around him at Kyo, now pulling himself up off the rocks. "But...I'm not so sure about him..." I said.

"No, the only thing he's bruised is his ego," Yuki said.

"He'd have more bruised than that if he'd gone up against me. Hmm... I shall call him...Orange-top," Miki said.

Yuki smiled a little at her, and her glaring turned to blushing.

"I'm guessing your dreams of being a cat are pretty much shattered at this point, Kiku," Shigure said.

"Well, I wouldn't-"

Kyo jumped up and ran off.

"...say that," I finished sadly.

I glanced at Yuki. Before that day, I had had a hard time understanding why all the girls called Yuki a "prince." Sure, he was good-looking, and good at sports, but I had never seen him act so noble. Especially not at school.

"School!" I cried.

"Oh, we're late!" Sachiko said.

"We've gotta go!" Miki called as we ran up the stairs.

We all changed as quickly as possible, and then ran back downstairs.

"Um, ladies?" Shigure said. "I don't think you want to go to school in those uniforms."

I stopped and looked down at my uniform. Oh, yeah, I thought, looking at the dirt that covered it, and Miki's and Sachiko's uniforms as well.

"Ah, suddenly they remember their adventures in the woods," Shigure said.

"I don't know," Miki said. "It's not so bad. Maybe no one will notice!"

"Oh, I think they will," Shigure said.

"You're right," I said defeatedly. "But we have to go to school. We-" I glanced at Miki and Sachiko, who looked at me a little worriedly. "We made a promise."

"Well, I'm not stopping you," Shigure said, smiling. "A promise is a promise."

I returned his smile.

"Which reminds me, I will have to tell Akito about everything that happened this morning."

Yuki's eyes flickered with an emotion I couldn't read. Anger? Fear? Sadness? I wondered if either Miki or Sachiko had noticed it.

"Who?" Sachiko asked.

"Oh, sorry," Shigure said, looking at us. "He's the head of the family."

"So then I guess this...Akito..." Miki said his name very carefully. I think she was measuring Yuki's reaction to his name as well. "He must be someone pretty important."

"Well, he is to us," Shigure said. "And, after all, we did just give away the big 'Sohma Family Secret'," he said, chuckling.

"Oh, right," I said. "That does make sense."

"But we really are late," Miki said.

"Goodbye!" Sachiko called.

We all sighed as we left the house and headed for school.

"What a morning," I said.

"Got that right," Miki said. "Did _not_ see that coming."

We looked at Sachiko, who was still silent.

"You okay, Saki?" I asked.

She looked at us. "I just thought of something."

"What?" Miki asked.

"This is just a theory, but...what if, because we're not Sohmas and we know about the...curse... What if there's some sort of punishment?"

We were silenced by this thought. It hadn't occured to Miki or I that there might be consequences for our learning of the curse.

If there is some sort of punishment, I thought, what then?

**;;;;;**

"Be safe," Shigure said, waving after the girls.

"Since when have you been so talkative about our family matters?" Yuki asked angrily.

Shigure turned to him.

"You're planning on erasing their memories, aren't you?" Yuki chuckled darkly. "Just like in the old days."

Shigure leaned up against the wall. "That's not my intention at all. Things were different then. Too many people knew about us."

Yuki turned to the stairs, not completely believing that his cousin wasn't going to erase his new friends' memories. "Fine. I'm going to school."

Shigure smiled a little after Yuki as he went upstairs. He could plainly see that he cared for these girls, but he also thought that maybe he cared for one of them just a little bit more than he cared for the others.

But it was just a theory.


	6. You're A Freak, They'd Hate You

**Eep, reviews! Thank you, everyone! Name to add to the thank-yous list: AnnaMaeGrrl X3**

**If you're liking the story, let me know! Reviews speed up updates! Thanks again, everyone! Here's Chapter 6!**

**-VI. You're a Freak, They'd Hate You-**

We cleaned our uniforms when we got to school (each had a laundromat), and it felt so much better to have a clean uniform in my hands. (If you're wondering, we were wearing our gym clothes.)

"Let's not tell anyone how we got dirty, okay?" Miki asked.

"Right," I said.

We were interrupted from discussing anything that had happened that morning by the Prince Yuki Fan Club cheer.

It's like their theme music, I thought.

"Well, Miss Kiku, Miss Miki, why the dirty clothes? Did Prince Yuki give you two the ditch?"

They laughed like it was the funniest thing in the world.

Miki grabbed my shoulder and whispered in my ear. I smiled and nodded, setting my uniform down on a bench next to us. We formed mock-cheerleading poses and started clapping.

"Ready? Okay! U-G-L-Y! You ain't got no alibi!" we cheered. "You ugly! Yeah, yeah, you ugly! U-G-L-Y! You ain't got- Let's face it! You ugly!"

The fan club girls glared at us.

"Hmph," the head girl (Minami) said. "Is that all you've got?"

"What, you want her to beat you up, too?" I asked, pointing at Miki.

Miki growled at them, and they screamed and ran off.

"Doesn't take much to scare them, does it?" she asked

"No, 'cause they know you're serious."

She smiled.

"Wonder why they're picking on us...?" I wondered aloud.

"Imagine what they'd do if they found out we were staying at his house," she whispered in my ear.

"Oh, they'd have a cow!" I said.

We both laughed, then sighed.

"We'd better go get changed," I said.

Miki nodded and we headed for the locker room.

By the time we had gotten changed back into our clothes, the hallways were empty.

"Miss Oshiro?"

I turned at the sound of my name.

"Miss Miyamoto?"

Miki turned as well. Her face turned bright red.

"Oh, hi, Yuki," I said, smiling.

"Did you tell anyone? About this morning?" he asked.

"Oh, well...we told them we tripped... OH! Your secret!"

"No, no, we wouldn't tell a soul!" Miki said.

"We were always told that it wasn't right to gossip! Oh, but you don't know us that well yet!" I said.

"No, really-"

"We swear! Cross our hearts and hope to die!" Miki said.

"We'll write it in blood if you want to! We'll swallow a thousand-"

He sighed. "That's not what I meant!" He moved closer, backing the two of us up against the wall.

I felt my eyes widen, and Miki wasn't exactly calm either.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I do believe you when you say you'll keep our secret...but it doesn't matter. We still might have to erase your memories."

Sachiko's theory about punishment and consequences suddenly sprang to mind.

"It won't hurt. It's a little like hypnotism. You'll simply forget everything you saw this morning. I know this because this isn't the first time someone has learned about us."

Wow, I thought.

"It happened when I was seven years old... I was playing with some other children in the gardens behind our house. One of the girls was chasing me, and she tripped and fell on me."

Transforming him, I thought.

"After that, we had to erase every one of those childrens' memories."

**3_3_3_3_3**

Yuki remembered the day well. It was a day, like many other days, he had tried to forget.

_"Akito,"_ he had asked, _"am I really that strange? Am I so strange that we have to hide it from everybody?"_

Akito had chuckled. _"Yes. You are that strange. A boy who turns into a rat? What do you think they would do if they knew? Really? You're a freak. They wouldn't come near you. They'd hate you..."_

**3_3_3_3_3**

"Yuki?" I asked.

"Huh?" he asked quietly, seemingly coming out of a daydream.

"Are you alright?"

He looked at the floor again. "But I...I can't go against Akito's decision, whatever it is. I can't stop him no matter how much I might want to."

I looked at Miki and she looked at Yuki curiously.

"That's why... I'm sorry!"

He started to walk away.

"Wait!" Miki said, going after him. Without thinking, she grabbed his arm and pulled him to her. There was a puff of pink smoke, and there, on top of Yuki's clothes, was a little white rat.

I slapped my hand over my eyes and Miki started banging her head against the wall behind her.

"I am so sorry! I wasn't even thinking! Oh, I can't believe I did that! Ooh, I'm such an idiot!" she cried.

"It's alright," I said, kneeling next to her.

"Just as long as no one saw..." Yuki said, glancing around the empty hallway.

"Oh, right..." Miki said, but was still beating herself up about it.

I shook my head and turned to Yuki. "I think what she means is," I said, picking him up in my hands, "thank you for being worried about us. But...we've been through much worse, I think. We're not scared. So there's no need to worry."

Miki took him from my hands and into her hands. "We completely understand if you and your family don't want anyone else to know about your secret. That's why they call it a secret, right?"

Yuki's big purple eyes were practically shining up at us. I couldn't tell what he was feeling (unusual for me).

"Whatever you decide is fine with us," I said. "You all do whatever makes you feel the most comfortable."

I don't like the idea of losing my memory, I thought. And I really don't want to forget meeting Yuki or Shigure or even Kyo. But they've done so much for us without asking anything in return. So I guess...maybe...

"You can erase our memories," I said.

"But afterwards, promise you'll still be our friend?" Miki asked.

Yuki looked at us silently for a few moments, and all further conversation was cut off by that now familiar puff of pink smoke.

Miki yelped and snatched her hands back as she turned around.

I merely turned to stare at the wall.

"Sorry about that," Yuki said. "The amount of time before we change back varies a bit."

"It's okay..." Miki said wearily.

After Yuki had gotten dressed again, we turned to face him.

I laughed a little. "Yuki, where did you learn to tie a tie?"

He looked down at his rather unkempt tie. "I guess I've never been very good at this sort of thing."

"That's okay," Miki said. "Nobody's perfect." She stepped closer, taking his tie in her hands. "I'm a tie expert. I'll have this fixed in no time."

Miki seemed to have the situation under control, so I winked at her, smiled, and headed to class.

She looked a little worried at my leaving her alone with him, but I figured, since she'd already transformed him once, not much else could go wrong.

**3_3_3_3_3**

Yuki's face flushed a little as Miki fixed his tie. Akito's words rang in his head again.

_"You're a freak. They wouldn't come near you. They'd hate you..."_

"Miss Miyamoto?" he asked. "I-It really didn't bother you to see?"

She jumped back. "Oh, don't worry, I closed my eyes in time!"

He laughed softly. "No, I didn't mean that."

"Huh?" she asked, smiling, totally oblivious of what he meant.

He shook his head. "So, can I...walk you to class?"

"Uh-huh!" she said excitedly.

As they walked down the hall, Kiku and Miki's words still hung in his ears.

_"You can erase our memories."_

_"But afterwards, promise you'll still be our friend?"_

He looked at Miki. "Thank you."

"No problem!" she said. "Tying ties is my specialty!"

Miki didn't notice the uneasiness of Yuki's laugh as she laughed, but that melted away as they laughed together.

[_At the Main House_]

"I believe..." Akito mused, a soft breeze blowing through the open room, "I will trust these girls."

Shigure looked a little surprised.

"For Yuki...and for Kyo...even for myself...this may be a great opportunity."

Shigure was not only older than Akito, but he had never known him to consent to something so easily. He knew that Akito must have been thinking of something more than his younger cousins just having girls living in the house. But of what he could be thinking, Shigure had no idea.


	7. A Little Talk

**Wooot! Okay, so I was out of town for a few days, and wasn't able to update when I was supposed to. But here's Chapter 7 for you all! Sorry it's so short, but I hope you like it anyway! Let me know!**

**A couple quick replies before I begin: (You can ignore this if you're not xXEmiShaeXx haha)**

**xXEmiShaeXx: You asked if I was using the anime or manga as a reference. I started using the anime at first, and then I started reading the manga, and now there's parts from the manga mixed in, so I'm using both! hehe As to who Saki ends up with... Well, you'll find out! ^.^**

**Okay, story time! Let me know what you think!**

**-VII. A Little Talk-**

"We're back!" Yuki called.

"We're home from school!" Sachiko called.

"Shigure?" Yuki asked, sliding open the door to his cousin's room. The room was empty. "Hmm. He must've gone out."

"Let's go put our things away," I said.

"We'll be back," Sachiko said.

"Alright," Yuki said with a smile.

We quickly and quietly filled Sachiko in on everything that had happened at school, and I got filled in on what I had missed as we went up the stairs and down the hallway to our rooms.

What a day, what a day, I thought as I slid open the door to my room.

I jumped a little when I found that it wasn't empty. A ladder stood in the middle of the room, Kyo standing on it. He had a roll of duct tape in his hand.

He jumped down off the ladder and looked at me.

I looked up at the ceiling. He had taped a tarp over the hole he had made that morning.

"Uh...what...?" I started to ask.

"Don't freak out," he snapped. "It's only temporary. You can call someone to fix it better later. This'll at least keep the rain out till then."

"Yes," I said. "Thank you."

I _was_ hoping I'd get to talk to him after again he ran off, I thought. But I don't think he likes me very much... I looked down at the floor sadly.

"Hey!"

"Ah! I didn't do it!" I said quickly, snapping my head up.

Kyo gave me a weird look.

"I mean, uh... I'm here..."

He turned his back to me, and he gripped the roll of tape in his hand so hard I thought either it or his hand was going to snap in two.

"I'm not very good at controlling my temper. When I get angry, I... I don't know. Maybe I don't have enough training. I just... I can't stand losing to that damn Yuki! So...about this morning... It wasn't... What I mean is... I'm so-!"

"I'm home! Yuki! Kiku! Miki! Sachiko! Are you here? And Kyo! I hope you're not doing something stupid and tearing up my house again!" Shigure called.

Kyo growled. "Oh, forget it!" He ran out of my room and down the stairs.

I ran after him, but he was even faster than Sachiko (and I didn't think that was possible).

"Wait! Please don't go..." I said sadly, watching him run off into the forest.

"He'll be back," Shigure said. "It's not like he has anywhere else to go."

I looked at the door again, thinking how the four of us were in a similiar situation on that front.

"But, never mind him. Can you get Miki and Sachiko and come in here for a second?"

"Sure," I said, wondering what he wanted to talk to us about. I looked at the door that Kyo had just slammed shut one last time before going to get Miki and Sachiko.

We all took our place at the table, waiting for Shigure to start explaining. Yuki sat next to us in just as much suspense.

"I had a little talk with Akito today," Shigure said.

The three of us held our breath, waiting for the verdict.

"He's decided that, as long as you three can keep our secret, you can stay here."

We breathed sighs of relief.

"Good," I said.

"So then...there's no punishment?" Sachiko asked.

"Punishment?" Shigure asked. "Why would we- You _can_ keep our secret, right?"

"Of course!" she said.

That's great news! I thought. We won't have to lose our memories!

I sensed that Yuki was happy with the news, too, but I also sensed another emotion that I couldn't quite put my finger on. Maybe...apprehension?

"Shigure," Yuki said, following him out of the room. "It all seems too easy, doesn't it? I can't help but wonder if Akito has something more in store for us."

"I don't know..." Shigure said. "But don't worry so much!" He turned to Yuki, waving his hand dismissevly. "Everything's going well! Enjoy it! For now, let's just trust Akito to do what's best."

Yuki gave Shigure a look that might've meant, "We can't trust Akito to do what's best for anyone but himself."

"Excuse me?" I asked, feeling a little uncomfortable at interrupting whatever Yuki and Shigure had been discussing.

Yuki looked up, a little surprised, and turned to us.

"Um, sorry to interrupt..."

"It's just that you've been so nice to us," Sachiko said as we all bowed.

"We hope it's no trouble," Miki said.

Yuki's eyes widened for a moment, then he smiled. "No, of course it's not," he said.

"Make yourselves at home, okay?" Shigure said, smiling.

"Okay!" we said together.

Looks like everything's going to be okay now, I thought. Even after everything that happened this morning, the Sohmas are still letting us stay in their house! I guess this will be our home for a while.


	8. For Your Own Good

**Omigosh, thank you all so much for reviewing! A name to add to the list: x. Mommiya Ichigo.x! Thanks for letting me know what you're thinking of the story, and for all your wonderful comments!**

**xXEmiShaeXx: Yeah, I did notice that the anime and the manga are different at times (which is to be expected, I guess), so I just try to put in moments from the manga that fit in, and hope that it all flows and makes sense *sweatdrop* hehe**

**Enough outta me! Here's Chapter 8!**

**-VIII. For Your Own Good-**

The next morning, we started our jobs as housekeepers. The kitchen was first.

We stood staring at the mess, wondering how only two guys could've caused it. To say it was dirty would be a gross understatement.

There were full garbage bags in every corner of the room, and just plain garbage littered everywhere. I wondered if they even did any cooking in there. It certainly couldn't have been up to health code regulations.

Yuki looked quite ashamed.

I was getting an "As well you should be" vibe from Sachiko.

I tightened the bandana around my head. "Well, it's not going to clean itself!" I said.

"I'll help," Yuki said. "Just tell me what to do."

"You'd better not," Shigure said, poking his head in. "The closest thing he's ever seen to a mop is that haircut of his. I think he'd just get in the way."

Yuki rolled his eyes.

"That's alright," Sachiko said. "We can handle it!"

"We agreed that we'd do the cooking and cleaning in exchange for our rooms," Miki said. "We wouldn't be earning our keep if we let you two help us!"

"Well, I can see we're in good hands," Shigure said. "I'm going to go find Kyo-"

Yuki gave him a weird look at the mention of Kyo.

"-and I'll be out with him for a while. We should be back by lunchtime."

"Sure! Just leave it to us," I said.

"In that case, I guess I'll go out, too," Yuki said.

"Sounds good!" I said.

"We'll be done when you get back," Miki said.

After Yuki and Shigure left, we all stared at the mess.

"What were we thinking?" Sachiko asked. "Where do we start?"

"Come on," I said, tossing her a mop, "what did people always say about us?"

They thought for a moment.

"'Wow, what a weird trio of girls'?" Sachiko tried.

"'What on earth are they smoking'?" Miki offered.

I rolled my eyes. "That we never give up! So let's go!"

**1_1_1_1_1**

With the three of us working on full speed scrubbing, sweeping, mopping, and taking out the trash, the kitchen was soon as spotless as if it were brand new.

"And that's that," I said, taking the bandana off my head and wiping my forehead with the back of my hand. "Let's get to work on lunch!"

**1_1_1_1_1**

Yuki came back some time later. "Amazing!" he said, looking at the kitchen. "If I didn't know better, I'd think I walked into the wrong house!"

We smiled.

"Since when do we have a rice cooker?" he asked, walking over to the counter.

"I found it in the trash!" Sachiko said proudly.

"By the way, I hope you're hungry, because lunch is almost ready," I said.

A few minutes later, we all sat down to eat.

Yuki took a bite and smiled, looking a little surprised. "This is delicious."

My face got a little hot, and I was pretty sure I saw tints of red on Miki and Sachiko's faces as well.

"It's not too bland?" Miki asked.

"No, it's wonderful!" he said. "The best lunch I've ever had!"

"Don't be silly..." Sachiko said.

"That reminds me, I wonder where Shigure and that stupid cat ran off to?" Yuki wondered aloud.

"I don't know," I said. "They said they'd be back by lunchtime."

"Well, shame on them," he said. "It's rude to let a meal this good get cold."

It's strange, I thought. I guess I still haven't gotten used to the idea of us living here. But here we are, having lunch with Yuki!

"Oh, yeah," Sachiko said. "You went out for a while, too. Where'd you go, shopping?"

"No...I just went to my secret base."

Miki gasped. "A secret base? You mean like a fort, or an underground hideout? That sounds so exciting!"

"I don't think it's quite as elaborate as what you're thinking," he chuckled. "But I'll tell you what, I'll take you there sometime so you can see it."

"Yay! I'm going to a secret base!" Miki said, throwing her arms up in the air.

"The neighborhood boys had one when we were kids," I said, "but they said girls weren't allowed in. Of course, that didn't stop her from trying to brek in anyway, but..."

"That's why she's freaking so bad," Sachiko added.

Our conversation was interrupted by a familiar voice, and the door being thrown open.

Kyo stormed through the room, his eyes glaring ahead of him.

"Stop! Kyo, just listen to me!"

Kyo now had on a red, short-sleeved, button-up polo over his black shirt. I didn't recognize who he was with at first, but then realized it was Shigure...in a suit?

"I don't wanna hear it!" Kyo shouted, stomping through the room. "You think it's fun jerking me around like that?"

"Now hold on. It wasn't- Okay, it was a little bit fun. But that's not why I did it! It was for your own good! And don't forget, it was Akito's decision!"

"Shut up! I don't give a damn about Akito!"

"Oh, um..." I said carefully. "Are you hungry? We made you some lunch."

"Shut up!"

I flinched as if he had hit me rather than slamming the door.

"Kyo! Don't take this out on Kiku! And use the front door next time! And take off your shoes!" He was in the process of taking off his own shoes at that moment.

"You're setting a fine example," Yuki said, pointing at Shigure with his chopsticks.

"Why do you always jump into his fights?" Sachiko whispered. "He's a lot better at martial arts than we are. You could really get hurt."

I sighed. "I know. I guess...I'm just trying... I don't know."

"This is the first time I've seen you in a suit," Miki said to Shigure, snorting.

"No, it looks good on him!" I said.

"You think so?" Shigure asked, stroking his chin with his fingertips.

Yuki laughed a little. "You look like a butler."

"Oh, lunch is ready," Shigure said, clearly changing the subject.

"Shouldn't we see about Kyo?" I asked.

"Oh, him?" Shigure asked, smiling as he took off his jacket. "He just needs to let off some steam. He's angry that I made him take an entrance exam."

"Orange-top taking an exam? For what?" Miki asked.

"Funny you should ask. As of today, Kyo is officially the newest student at your school. Oh, and he'll be living with us from now on as well."

Yuki stood up and glared down at Shigure. "Don't you take a single bite. Get out!" he said darkly.

"I knew you'd be upset," Shigure said. He turned to us. "You see, Kyo pulled a bit of a vanishing act on us. He just up and disappeared for four months. You know where he disappeared to?"

I have a feeling you're going to tell us, I thought.

"He was up on a mountain, training."

"What kind of training?" I asked.

"Let me guess," Yuki said sarcastically. "He's been meditating under waterfalls and fighting bears."

We looked at him with "Say what?" looks on our faces.

"I'm not so sure about that," Shigure said, scratching his head. "The point is, Kyo really wants to beat Yuki." He gave Yuki a sideways glance.

"Stupid cat," Yuki muttered.

I thought about what all they had just said, tuning out the conversation that followed.

So Kyo spent all that time trying to beat Yuki, I thought. And Yuki really doesn't seem to like Kyo at all, either.

This is just like the old story, I thought, looking up at the ceiling, as if I could see straight through to the roof (where Kyo was hiding). After the Rat tricked the Cat, the Cat must've been angry for a long, long time. Maybe that's why Yuki and Kyo don't get along. I don't know. And somehow, I get the feeling he wouldn't want to talk about it with me...

**1_1_1_1_1**

The next school day rolled around, and Kyo came to school with us. It was mad crazy, I can say that.

Upon hearing that Kyo was "Prince Yuki's" cousin, the girls flipped out. Sachiko said she was sorry she missed it.

"I wonder if he can tell us about Yuki!"

"He's so cute!"

"Not as cute as Yuki!"

"I think he's amazing!"

"Wow!"

"What do you think? Is he really Prince Yuki's cousin?"

"I'll bet he knows everything about him!"

Kyo's hair was practically standing on end from all the attention he was getting, not to mention the fact that these girls mentioned Yuki so much.

Poor Kyo, I thought from where Miki and I were standing in the corner. He looks so scared.

Then I myself felt strange. All those girls were over there talking to Kyo (or at least about him). It made me feel weird. I can't describe it.

"Hey, you," a girl called to Yuki as he walked in.

"Yes?"

"This new kid, he's really your cousin?"

"Yes, that is the rumor going around," he replied with a dark smile. "I'd prefer to leave it at that."

We looked back over at Kyo when a girl said, "Hey, I thought we were talking!"

Good luck with that, I thought.

Kyo was walking away from the group, trying to escape.

"Wait, come back!" Another girl went after him and grabbed his arm.

We all sucked in a breath and awaited the moment when that puff of orange smoke would appear.

But it didn't. Kyo grabbed the girl and flipped her onto her back, yanking her arm up behind her.

"Oh! Kyo!" I called. "I don't think that's a good idea!"

"Get off me! Let me up!" the girl cried.

I could tell Kyo was really losing it. He growled, jumped up, and yelled, "Leave me alone!" He ran over to the window, threw it open, and jumped out.

We were two stories up! We all ran to the window.

He landed on all fours just as gracefully as...well, a cat. Then he ran off.

"Wow."

"That proves it, he's definitely related to Prince Yuki."

"I can't believe he jumped."

"Hey, are you forgetting about me? I _did_ just get my arm ripped off!"

A few girls laughed, talking about how it was like a cat trying to get out of a bath. Ironic, isn't it?

"See what Saki meant about you getting hurt? That Orange-top's got a short fuse," Miki whispered.

"Look who's talking," I said.

"Right back at you," she said, and we laughed softly.

Yuki shook his head and walked away, closing the classroom door behind him.

I looked back out the window. "Poor Kyo," I said quietly.

He really is like the Cat from the story, I thought. He must feel so alone right now. But who knows? Maybe one day...we can be friends...

I turned and started to walk out of the classroom. "Where're you going?" Miki asked, starting to follow me.

I looked at her.

"You're going to find him, aren't you?"

I nodded.

"Why?"

"I don't want him to get into anymore trouble than he already is. I want to try talking him back inside."

"Are you crazy? He's at full boil right now! Orange-top yells at everyone, even you!"

"Well, you always say that I'm never in my right mind." I exhaled. "Look, there's no sense in both of us getting in trouble. I'll see you in class?"

She managed a small smile and nodded.

I smiled back and ran out of the first door I saw, searching for Kyo.


	9. Your Biggest Fan

**_Ehhh..._ Short chapter... I'll update again tomorrow ^.^**

**xXEmiShaeXx: Here's the part you've been waiting forrrrr! heehee Enjoy the yelling! XD**

**animecookiefairy: XDDDD Omigosh, you crack me up! I read your review over and over, and just about fell out of my chair laughing XD Thank youuu!**

**x. Mommiya Ichigo.x: GASP Thank you! I was hoping people would like my OCs, so THANK YOU for loving them! :D Oh, and I would love to join your Year of the Cat Fan Club ;D heehee**

**Thanks to everyone for your reviews! It means so much! Again, sorry for the shortness of the chapter. I'll update again very soon! For now, here's Chapter 9!**

**-IX. Your Biggest Fan-**

Kyo ran around the side of one of the buildings and slumped down onto a cement block that jutted out all along the side of the building. He breathed heavily, exhausted from the attention and from his outburst.

He heard footsteps approaching, but didn't look up.

"Hey."

Now he did.

"What were you trying to prove, pulling a stunt like that?" Yuki said. He sounded like he was lecturing a kindergartener about good behavior. "Think. If you act like an idiot, I'm the one who's going to hear about it."

"It serves you right," Kyo shot back. "Why do you want to go to a school with all these crazy, giggling girls anyway?"

"I suppose you'd prefer I lived my life in fear of being transformed? You sound like Akito. He thought I should attend an all-boys school as well. Which is why I came here. To get away from him, and out of that house."

Kyo looked up at him, then down at the ground again. "What do you know? You're a spoiled little rat."

**;;;;;**

I heard Kyo talking, and quickened my pace. Of course I had to find him and Yuki in mid-argument.

"You want out? Fine! But as for me, I'm gonna prove it once and for all that I'm better than you!"

I peeked around the wall as Kyo jumped up from where he'd been sitting.

Yuki stood by calmly, his arms folded over his chest.

"And then I'm gonna take my place as a true member of this family! I'm not gonna be left out anymore!" He lunged toward Yuki, grabbing his shirt in his fist. "Do you hear me, rat boy?"

Suspecting that it would turn into an all-out fight (as it usually did), I ran over to try and stop it.

"No!"

Of course, I pulled a Miki. Without even thinking, I wrapped my arms around Kyo's middle, trying to push him off of Yuki. Naturally, this was followed by an orange puff of smoke.

I fell to my knees, Kyo's clothes in my arms, and Kyo in his cat form on the ground in front of me, his back to me.

I felt my eyes widen. "I am so sorry," I said. "But I saw what was going on, and I guess I just panicked! I'm sorry that you're angry, but fighting at school isn't a good idea!" I should know, I thought. "You'll get into huge trouble if they catch you! And on your first-"

"Shut up!"

I stopped talking, looking at him in surprise (though I shouldn't have been surprised).

His back arched, his hair stood on end, and he glared at me with his red cat eyes. "Who do you think you are? This is between me and him! It's got nothing to do with you! You _stupid little girl_! From now on, just stay the hell away from me!"

Silence hung over the three of us.

"Uh..."

I stood, tears stinging my eyes, and left Kyo's clothes on the ground. "Okay, that was maximum rage," I said to myself, blinking away tears that I knew were going to fall anyway. "He hates me. That's all there is to it. He really hates me."

**;;;;;**

Yuki looked down at Kyo. "You're truly an idiot."

"So what? You're gonna hit me now?" Kyo asked, not looking at Yuki.

"And wouldn't it hurt more if I didn't?"

Kyo listened as Yuki walked away, knowing that he had been bested yet again by him. Not by his fists, but by his words. And by his own realization at the truth of those words.

**;;;;;**

I remember, when I first heard the story of the Zodiac animals, all I could think about was the poor Cat. While all the other animals were having a wondeful time at the banquet, the Cat was still lying in its bed, dreaming of a party that would never come.

_"I know! I won't be a Dog anymore! I'll be a Cat, too!"_

And I really meant it. I wanted to show the Cat that, no matter what, he had a friend. I liked cats so much, I knew I would've been the first to join a Year of the Cat fan club, if there was such a thing.

Now he hates me, I thought, ignoring the stares and chattering of the students around me as they wondered why I was kneeling on the floor, crying. I'm such a fool, I thought. A real fool.

"There she is!"

I snapped my head up. Oh, no! Miki and Saki! I thought. How do I explain that I'm crying? I didn't even stop to wonder what Sachiko was doing there during the day.

"Hey, what are you doing kneeling in the hall?" Sachiko asked.

I had to think fast. Good thing I'm a klutz, I thought.

"Class is- Uh?"

I stood up fast and purposely banged my head against a big metal box on the wall (I think it held a fire extinguisher or something).

Miki and Sachiko looked at me in shock.

"Oh! I can't believe I did it again! I bumped my head!" I cried, rubbing my head. "That almost hurt worse than the first time! Look, I'm crying, it hurts so bad!"

"I'd worry," Miki said, almost to herself, "but I don't think her brain damage can get any worse."


	10. Bears, Stalkers, and Cats, OH MY

**Omigosh, chapter 10 already! WOOOO! *Ahem* Anywhoo...**

**Mommiya: GASP REALLLYYYYY? ! ? Sorry, Olivia (whoever you are), but there's a new VP in town! XD jk jk**

**EmiShae: ZOMG your review made me laugh SO hard XDD I kept reading it over and over. That was a such an epic thing to think about Yuki's comment XDDD I also watched the anime before I started the manga, so I can understand the confusion hahaha**

**To the two of you, and to animecookiefairy- thank you for your encouragement in this story ^.^ It means so much!**

**A'ight. Let's get this show on the road!**

**-X. Bears, Stalkers, and Cats, OH MY-**

"So, you're home?"

Shigure was in his room, on his computer.

Kyo was laying on the porch just outside Shigure's room, his left arm bent above his head, cushioning it from the wood, and his back to Shigure.

"Had enough school for one day, huh?"

"I don't wanna live in this house anymore," Kyo said.

"If you can train on a mountain for four months, I think you can endure more than three days here," Shigure said.

"I said such terrible things to her... Terrible," Kyo said, his voice filled with regret.

"'Her'? I take it you mean Kiku?"

Shigure made the guess by the fact that Kiku seemed to be the only one of the girls brave enough to approach Kyo when he was at full boil. He didn't even think about the fact that she might've just been foolish enough to approach him; he knew she was brave.

"Let me guess. You lost your temper and yelled at her again, right? You know you shouldn't do that if you're just going to regret it. Not too bright, now is it?"

"Save your breath," Kyo said. "I'm just not meant to get along with other people. Period. End of story."

"Oh, sure," Shigure said, "some people just arent. But you're not one of them. You lack experience, that's all. For example, I'm sure that you could smash this table to bits with your bare hands," he said, gesturing to his desk in front of him. "But I'm equally sure you could punch the table without breaking it. And why is that? Because I know you're training has taught you to control your fists. At least I should hope so, after four months of fighting bears and whatnot-"

"I didn't fight bears!" Kyo said, jerking his head over to look at Shigure.

"My point...is it takes just as much training to get along with people."

Kyo looked at him, really taking in what he was saying.

"Only training by yourself in the mountains won't do you any good. You need to surround yourself with others."

Kyo repositioned himself so that his arm was under his head, and he was looking down toward his feet.

"As you get to know them," Shigure continued, "of course you take a chance that you'll end up hurting them, or that they'll end up hurting you. And one of those things may very well happen. But that's the only way we learn. About others. And about ourselves.

"You're a black belt in martial arts, but I'd guess you've still got a white belt in social skills. Someday, you're going to meet someone who truly wants to be your friend, and you theirs. But if you don't keep training, you won't be ready when that happens."

"It'll never happen, anyway," Kyo said.

"Ah-h, never say never," Shigure said in a slightly singsong way.

Kyo turned back away from him, saying, "Okay, fine. Maybe if I meet somebody with brain damage...or something..."

"That's the spirit!" Shigure said.

"We're home!"

Kyo slinked off as Yuki came into the room.

"Ah, so you are. Is Kiku not with you?" Shigure asked, looking at the group of three.

"She had to work this evening, but she said she'd be back by eleven," Miki said.

"That's really late for her, but she insisted on taking the shift," Sachiko said.

"I'm picking her up," Yuki said.

"Probably a good idea," Shigure said. "There are some real weirdoes around here."

**;;;;;**

I was tired that night when I left work. It was very late. I walked through the forest by myself, wondering if anyone was still awake back at the house.

I hope Kyo at least got some dinner tonight, I thought. If he wasn't too angry to eat again. Maybe I could- Oh, but I'm probably the last person he wants to see.

_"Just stay the hell away from me!"_

Ahh, I thought, no one's ever hated me before! Okay, that's not true, but these are different circumstances! I don't know what to do!

_"Just be yourself. You'll be fine..."_

"She's right," I said to myself. "I just have to keep trying." I smiled.

My smile fell when I heard rustling behind me. I stopped walking and my eyes widened.

Wh-what was that? I wondered. Is there somebody else here? Oh no! What if it's one of those weirdoes Shigure warned us about? !

The rustling got closer, and I gasped. "No!" I swung out with my bag, and was initially happy that it connected with something. But the happiness went away when I looked to see what -or who- I'd hit.

Yep. Just my luck. I'd hit Kyo in the head with my bag.

Kyo! I screamed in my head. He's going to think I thought he was a stalker! Oh, but I guess I did! But I can't tell him that! Ahh...!

He turned to walk away.

"Uh, wait!" I said. "I'm sorry, it was an accident! I was just stretching my arm and oops! Funny how things like that happen, huh? But hey, it's nice to see-"

"Quit babbling!"

I stopped.

"If you've got something to say, say it!"

I blinked a couple times. "Kyo," I said quietly.

"What?" he asked annoyedly.

I blushed and smiled a little. "I...don't know what to say."

"Then don't say anything! !"

"I'm sorry!" I said.

He sighed and put his hand to his face. "No, don't be." He turned away, holding his other hand out, signaling "stop." "Say or don't say whatever you want." He moved his hand from his eyes to his mouth, and I thought I saw a slight blush on his cheeks. "And, you don't have to, you know...stay away, I- Ahh, just hit me again if you're angry!"

I looked at him for a moment. I think- Is he-? I wondered. He's trying to apologize for this morning, isn't he? Maybe that's why he came out here to meet me. So...does that mean- The other day after school, in my room... I think he was trying to apologize to me then, too.

"I'm sorry."

He looked at me, a little surprised.

"I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong idea. I only hit you because I thought you were a stalker!"

Kyo sighed and put his hand over his eyes. "Oh, great."

"So you see, it was't because I'm mad at you! That's not it at all! In fact, I really like you!"

Kyo just looked at me, the surprised look returning to his face.

Where am I going with this? I wondered, but my mouth seemed to be working of its own accord now.

"I've always liked the Cat from the Zodiac!" I leaned closer, and he leaned back a little. "What I mean is... I hope...maybe...we can be friends?"

**;;;;;**

Kyo was reminded of what Shigure had said earlier.

_"Someday, you're going to meet someone who truly wants to be your friend..."_

He started to laugh a little, but he wasn't sure if it was for joy or at the fact that Shigure had actually been right about something. He stopped himself as he felt his face getting hotter.

He turned his back to Kiku. He was also trying to ignore the fact that he thought her babbling and rambling was really cute.

"What are you supposed to be," he asked, "some Year of the Cat fan club? C'mon... Let's go back." He started walking back in the direction of the house.

**;;;;;**

I stood still, watching him walk away for a moment, smiling a little to myself. I thought that maybe I understood Kyo a little better. He didn't always mean to get angry. Sometimes, it was just hard for him to say how he really felt. Something I knew a lot about.

I ran after him, then walked next to him the whole way back. I could still see a slight tint of pink in his cheeks, and it made me blush as well.

But, deep down, I thought, I believe he truly is a nice person, even though he tries to hide it most of the time.

**;;;;;**

Miki and Sachiko about died laughing when I told them what had happened, and it made me blush, even though I laughed, too.

"That's so you, Kiku," Sachiko said, "thinking every little thing that makes a sound in the forest is out to get you."

"Totally," Miki said.

"You two would've done the same thing," I said.

"No, Miki would've knocked him to the ground and then flipped him over her."

"Probably," Miki said, and we laughed.

I loved coming home every night. Shigure's house really was starting to feel like home, and we were all starting to fit in with this new family. I loved that feeling.

**Ehhhh, short again... I shall update again soon! You can hold me hostage until I do, if you want! ...Just kidding, please don't. I really wanna finish Death Note. Then you can hold me hostage, 'kay? XD Let me know your thoughts! I'd love to hear 'em! ^.^**


	11. Playing Games

**Wow, totally messed up my updating routine! Sorry about that! I just have to take care of a few things before we get this show on the road.**

**A couple reviewers expressed that they think this story lacks originality. While it is true that I am following the anime (and inserting parts from the manga at some points) and using much of the same dialogue and scenarios, the story does start to go a little different as it goes along. My OCs can seem like Tohru triplets at times, and I apologize for that. It's probably just because my friends and I can seem quite similar. The purpose of my story is to put my friends and I into one of our favorite animes, so that's why it follows Natsuki Takaya's storyline so closely. I thank those of you who expressed these feelings for letting me know, and if the way the story's going doesn't appeal to you, then that's fine. I have already completed this story and have just started posting it so my friends can read it. I'm sorry if you thought the story was going to be something else. I hope you will continue reading, and give the OCs a chance to develop some more. I hope this doesn't sound rude or mean, because that is not my intention. I welcome any kind of criticism on my work. So thank you.**

**Moving on...**

**Mommiya: HAHAHAHAHAHA! No one can grow mushrooms like Tamaki can! XDD Ah, I can totally picture what you put in your review. Makes me crack up every time I read it! hahahaha XD (Oh, and I'm glad that Olivia forgives me ^.^)**

**EmiShae: I go into Otaku Mode every time I watch that scene XD Kyo's just too kawaii when he's flustered hahaha Yeah...Saki's...interesting. Mostly because the girl based on her is so interesting XD I'm just glad it's obvious who Kiku and Miki are gonna end up with hahahaha Anywhoo, Haru will be coming up soon! ^.^**

**Now, on with chapter 11!**

**-XI. Playing Games-**

"Kyo," Shigure said the next morning at breakfast. "I heard you gave Kiku a little scare while you were out prowling around last night. _Kyo's a stalker! Kyo's a stalker!_" he sang.

"You are so full of it!" Kyo shouted. "And you!" he said, pointing at me. "Next time you need someone to walk you home, don't look at me!"

"That's okay," I said. "Anyway, I'd much rather see you here at the table like this more often. I'm glad you're eating. How do you like the food?"

He looked at me, his chopsticks still in his mouth, then looked at Yuki, who was seemingly waiting to see what he would say. "What do you want?"

"Nothing," Yuki replied calmly.

"You were staring at me!"

"No. Just looking."

"Well, I guess there's a first time for everything!"

"Do you like it?" I asked again, very carefully.

"No, I don't!-" He froze, realizing what he had just said, and we stared at each other for a long time.

"What did you just say?" Miki asked darkly.

Sachiko grabbed her arms. "Leave it alone," she said.

"No, that was my fault," I said. "That was...poor timing..."

**;;;;;**

Free period that day was going by slowly, so I suggested a game. "Hey, why don't we play Rich Man-Poor Man?"

"Ah, play with that damn Yuki. I don't wanna," Kyo said.

"Running away from a challenge," Miki said. "What are you, Orange-top? Some kinda sissy?"

"Fine! I'll play your stupid game!" he said, jumping up from his seat. "Just don't cry when you lose, Miki."

"How about this?" she said. "The loser cleans the entire classroom by himself."

I'm getting a lot of interesting signals here, I thought. I can practically see sparks flying. And not the good kind either.

"Let's ask Yuki if he wants to play, too!" I said, looking around for Yuki. "Yuki! Do you wanna play Rich Ma... You're not here..."

**3_3_3_3_3**

"I'm sorry," Yuki said to the girl. "I'm just not ready to be in a relationship right now. So...I think it would be best if we just-"

"No, don't say it!" the girl said, turning away. "Yuki!" She flung her arms out to try to hug him.

Panicking, Yuki caught her by the only thing he could: her head.

"I...I'm sorry...?" he said again, this time more hesitantly.

"It's just that... You were always so nice, I..."

Yuki took his hands back and the girl stood up.

"You really don't want to get close to anyone, do you, Yuki?"

He looked at her in shock.

"You shut everyone out, like you think you're better than they are! So what, I guess a normal girl like me just isn't good enough for you, is that it?"

Yuki looked after the girl as she ran away, thinking that she was wrong...but then thinking that maybe she was partly right.

**3_3_3_3_3**

"Revolution!" Kyo said, laying down four eights.

"What? !" Miki screeched, banging her fist on the table. "You cheater! What kinda tricks are you trying to pull?"

"What'dya mean 'tricks'? Those are the rules!"

Miki sighed. "So...Revolution makes all high cards low, right?"

"Wait," I said. I grabbed four cards out of my hand. "Reverse Revolution."

Kyo and Miki looked at me, jaws slacked, and I just smiled.

"You've had it, Kyo!" one of the guys watching our game said.

"You'd think you'd never played this game before!" another guy said.

"How embarrassing! Getting beat by a girl!"

**3_3_3_3_3**

Yuki watched from the doorway.

"Aw, shut it! C'mon! Let's play again!"

He looked at how well-liked Kyo was among the students, even though he always seemed angry.

The girl's words rang in Yuki's ears.

_"You really don't want to get close to anyone, do you, Yuki?"_

**3_3_3_3_3**

"Rich Man-Poor Man?" Yuki asked later that day. (Sachiko had now joined us.) "I know the game, but I've never actually played it."

"Miki taught me how to play not too long ago," I said.

"It really is a lot of fun," Sachiko said.

"You should play with us next time!" Miki said.

Yuki smiled a little. "So, it looks like Kyo was the loser today, was he?" he asked, looking over at Kyo, who was (quickly) mopping the floor.

"Yes," I said, "but I'll still help him clean up."

"No. A loss is a loss," Kyo said.

"You sure?" I asked.

"Don't worry about it," he said. "I'll win next time." He turned and pointed at Yuki. "Just like I'll win against you!"

"Wait, wait," Yuki said, "I think I've heard this one before!"

"No joke! I _am_ going to beat you! That's a promise!"

"I wish you'd stop making your inferiority complex my problem," Yuki said.

"I swear, every time you open your mouth, it pisses me off!"

"And every time you open yours, you sound like an idiot."

Miki sighed. "There they go again. They can't even be in the same room together, can they?"

"I guess cats and rats aren't supposed to get along," Sachiko said.

But the way they fight? I thought. There's got to be a better explanation.

_"And then I'm gonna take my place as a true member of this family!"_

Do you think maybe...what he meant by that was, he's trying to beat Yuki because then he thinks he'll be accepted into the Zodiac? I wondered. If that's true, then that means...the Cat will be included with the other twelve animals! That would be wonderful!

"I'm gonna break your pretty-boy face!"

But...I don't think fighting's the best way to go about it, I thought.

"Um, you guys?" I asked.

"That's it! Let's go!" Kyo challenged.

Yuki dodged Kyo's punch, then delivered a kick upside his head. Kyo flipped backwards, and landed on his back on the floor.

"I can't even stand to look at you," Yuki said in disgust, then walked out of the room.

We stayed put, none of us quite sure what to do.

"Yuki..." Miki said quietly.

"Dammit..."

We all looked at Kyo, who was rubbing his head.

"Why can't I ever kick _him_ in the head for a change?" He put his chin in his hand, thinking. "But he really did try to lay me out today. He must be in a bad mood or something..."

Miki looked at the door and ran out. We assumed she went looking for Yuki, and, knowing that she was in good hands, left with Kyo for home.

**;;;;;**

"Maybe it's because Yuki's always so polite, but you wouldn't ever think he'd had a bad day," I said to Sachiko.

"But if what Kyo said is true," Sachiko said, "he might just be keeping his feelings locked up inside."

"I'll bet Miki can get 'em out of him."

"By force."

We both laughed and Kyo rolled his eyes, which made me laugh a little more.

I was glad that we were all friends now, that we had smoothed things over with Kyo. I just hoped that now Miki could help Yuki with whatever he was feeling.

**Again, thank you to all of you who've been reviewing! It means so much! More coming soon! ^.^**


	12. A Good Person

**Since I got off my routine, I'm updating again! ^.^ Thank you, reveiwers! YAY It makes me so happy to hear what you all are thinking about this!**

**Because it is a hard-and-fast rule that things always look shorter once you post them, I'm going to take britblueeyes13's advice and mush some chapters together to make them longer after this one. Hopefully that'll make things more interesting!**

**Mommiya: ZOMG *dies laughing* It's a good thing you like making people laugh, because you are very good at it! That's probably the reaction my mom would have if there were mushrooms growing in the corner of my room XD HAHAHA Poor Tamaki! He just hates to lose... I shall give him a cookie to make him feel better ^.^ heehee**

**EmiShae: Ha, I just worked on the thing for so long, and didn't have anywhere to post it for a while, so it was just sitting on my computer hahaha Now I don't have to worry too much when I update, because it's already all written! X] ZOMG I KNOW! Whenever he blushes it's just like...AH it makes _me_ blush! And, on occasion, giggle uncontrollably XD Thanks so much! :D**

**britblueeyes13: AH Another reviewer to add to my thank-you list! Yay! ^.^ Your review made me smile so much, thank you! *glomp* I'm glad you think the semi-Tohru-triplet-ness of the OCs is somewhat of a positive thing! That means a lot! I don't know what else I can say, because I'm smiling like a loon at how you described how I write hahaha It _definitely_ gave me an "authors boost"! Thank you sooo much!**

**A'ight, let's go!**

**-XII. A Good Person-**

Miki ran out of the room and started searching for Yuki. She looked in the classrooms, the gym... She even had some guys look in the bathrooms and the locker room, but Yuki was nowhere to be found.

Decided that he wasn't still on campus, she left school and started searching the nearby streets for him.

She finally found him on a corner some ways away from the school. He was leaning against a lamppost, seemingly staring off into space.

For reasons she didn't yet understand, she smoothed down her hair and tugged down on her skirt before she went over to talk to him.

"Yuki?"

He stood and turned, looking very surprised. "Miss Miyamoto?" He looked at her for a moment. "It's getting dark. You shouldn't be out here alone."

"First of all, I'm not alone. I'm with you. Secondly, it's the things that are hiding out there that need to be afraid of me, not the other way around."

He laughed softly.

"Kiku and Saki already headed home with Kyo. I don't think any of us need to be worried with the two of you around. You and Kyo sure know how to make a girl feel special!"

His smile faltered a little, and it didn't escape her notice. "Well, we should get home, too, then."

She ran to catch up with him. "Wait. Yuki." She stepped in front of him a little bit, stopping his advancement. "Um, I hope I'm not prying, but if something's bothering you, you know you can talk to me about it...if you want."

He looked surprised as he turned to look at her.

"I'm sorry," she said. "It's just that anytime I ever had anything on my mind that was bothering me, it always made me feel better to talk about it with some-"

Miki stopped talking when she felt someone shove her in the back.

"Hey, lovebirds! Go home! It's too late for you kids to be out on the street!"

The men continued talking as they walked by, but Miki was pushed right into Yuki, which, of course, transformed him. She fell to her knees on the sidewalk, Yuki in front of her on his clothes in his rat form.

"But then again...you don't have to. I wouldn't want to talk to me either if I kept turning me into a rat," she said.

"No. It's not your fault. I'm the one with the curse," Yuki said.

Miki picked up Yuki's clothes, and Yuki waddled along beside her on two feet as they walked down the street back towards home.

"For years, living at Sohma House felt like living in a cage," Yuki began. "Akito always liked to keep me as far away from...well, everyone as he could. But what I wanted was to live a normal life, with normal people. I wanted to move in with Shigure, enroll in this school...

"I wondered why he let me go, at first. I soon found out. I could leave the house, but leaving the cage...that wasn't so easy. No, I'm still a Sohma. And no matter how much I might want to, that's something I can never change."

Miki listened to him sadly as he told his story, wondering how someone who had seemed so happy could've felt like this.

Then she remembered how she herself felt the day of the accident. How Kiku and Sachiko had felt. It was possible for happy people to feel pain. She knew that all too well.

"I'll always be...different. I know that. And what scares me is, if I get too close to someone, they might realize that too.

"Not like Kyo. He's shy when he first meets people, but after he gets to know them a little, he can open up to them, be himself. Because of _what_ he is, Kyo can never be accepted into the Zodiac, but isn't it better than he can be accepted by normal people for _who_ he is? That...is exactly what I've always wanted."

Yuki stopped walking, and so did Miki. "I guess that's why I get so angry with him. Because he can't even see what he has. He's blinded by that foolish desire to join the very same family I've spent my life trying to run away from."

"Yuki," Miki said, "people _do_ accept you. A lot more than you know. I mean, just think of all the girls at school who like you. They always talk about how nice you are."

"But that isn't me," he said. "You say they accept me because I'm nice? Well, I only act nice because I want them to accept me, not because it's how I really feel. I'm not a good person. I'm just...selfish."

Miki looked at him in surprise. "Yuki, you know what Kiku lives by?"

He looked at her.

"Be happy with yourself, because no returns are accepted."

"What does that mean, exactly?" he asked.

"She says it means something like...if you don't like your nose, there's no store you can go to to get another one. You can't change how you look just as much as you can't change who you really are. Yes, there is surgery that can change that, but it's still you under there, on the inside. You can't get plastic surgery on your personality. You'll always be you."

A crack of thunder and a flash of lightning stopped the conversation, and it started to rain.

"The weather didn't say a thing about rain," Miki said. "But what's a day without surprises, I guess..."

There was a puff of pink smoke, and Miki quickly turned away, holding Yuki's clothes out for him.

"This is bad..." she heard him say.

"I'll say!" she replied. "We're on a street corner, it's raining, and you're-"

"No, not that." He took her hand (he was now dressed), and they ran back to the path to the house.

"Yuki, where are we going?" Miki asked.

He didn't answer.

They stopped in front of -what looked like- a small vegetable patch.

"What is this?" she asked.

Yuki pulled a blue tarp from under a rock nearby. "Nothing, really. Just a little vegetable garden I take care of."

"Then...did you do all this?" she asked.

"Uh-huh," he said. "This is my secret base."

"It's even better than I pictured!" she said. "So you came to try and protect it from the storm, right? I'll help if I can! Just show me what to do!"

They spread the tarp over the garden, and Yuki got a hammer and some stakes to hold it down.

"Miss Miyamoto," Yuki said, smiling, "you are a good person."

Miki blushed. "Who? Me? You really think so? No one's ever said that to me before! They've called me a punk and mean and a bunch of other stuff...but never good! Thank you so much!" She gasped. "But maybe I'm only being nice so you'll like me! Maybe I'm just being selfish!"

"I really don't think you could if you wanted to, despite your tough demeanor."

She blushed again. "I don't know about that," she said. "My grandmother said that everyone can be selfish sometimes. Then again, she also said it's always better to give people the benefit of the doubt. Which, I guess, is what Kiku is thinking with Kyo, but anyway...

"No one really starts out kind. All we know how to do at first is want. We want food, attention... It's just a natural survival instinct, I guess. But kindness is something that we all have to learn as we go. I guess I'm still learning myself. It's something that grows and develops slowly over time, the same way our bodies do.

"And so kindness can come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Grandma said that not everyone has true kindness, since it's something we have to work at. But she thought that everyone had the potential. You might just have to look close before you can tell it's there."

Yuki watched Miki as she spoke, amazed at what she was telling him, and amazed by the girl speaking these words.

"It may not seem like it, but I try to look for the good in everyone. When you find it, it's always worth it, no matter how hard it is to find. I get to see all the different shapes that kindness can take.

"For example, I think yours is sort of like a candle."

Yuki looked up from the tarp at her.

She blushed. "Whenever you're around, you always seem to bring just a little bit more light into the room. Everything's brighter and it just...makes me want to smile. Oh, but now you're looking at me like I'm crazy..."

Yuki started and looked back at the ground, blushing a little. "Ah, no. I'm sorry, it's just...uh... I guess I'm not used to talking like this."

"But I'm glad that we are," she said. "When you're comfortable enough with someone that you can share your feelings, just like I am with Kiku and Saki, I'd say that's usually a pretty good sign that you're getting to be closer friends!"

Yuki smiled at her.

The tarp suddenly jumped up in a gust of wind, covering Miki.

"Oh, it got away from me," she said, laughing a little as she pulled it back off of her. "I guess that's a sign that I should stop talking and help protect the base!"

Miki remembered what else her grandmother had told her.

_"It's not always easy to see the good in people. In some people, you might even doubt that it's there at all. But if you can somehow find a way to believe... Sometimes, that's all it takes to help someone, to give them the strength to find the good in themselves."_

**;;;;;**

The rain stopped shortly after.

"Hooray! We saved the base!" Miki said.

"Yes, but we are a little worse for wear," Yuki said.

"Maybe we should pick something while we're here, you think?" Miki asked.

"Hmm...I guess the leeks are ready."

"Okay," she said. Leeks, she thought. Blech. And Kiku and Saki won't be too happy either.

"Miss Miyamoto, I've been thinking..."

She looked at him.

"Next time you play that game, could I play it too?"

She smiled. "Of course! You just didn't seem too interested before..."

"Well, when I saw everyone together like that, I guess I let my shyness get the best of me. But next time..." He looked up at her. "...I'd like to join you."

Miki smiled.

"I'll keep trying," he said. "Maybe I can learn to open up more..."

"That's wonderful!" she said. "And I think Kiku's always looking for a new victim to beat at Rich Man-Poor Man."

"Little Miss Oshiro?"

"Not so little when it comes to cards," she said.

He smiled, laughing softly. "Thanks for the warning."

Miki looked at him, a little surprise showing on her face. I think, she thought, that's the first time I've ever realy seen Yuki smile.

**1_1_1_1_1**

Miki filled us in on everything that had happened when she and Yuki (finally) got home that night.

"Wow," was all we said.

"That's about all I was thinking," Miki said. She groaned and flopped back on her bed, covering her face with her pillow. "Guys are so confusing."

"Yep," I said, knowing very well that both she and I had specific boys in mind.

Sachiko grinned. "I have no problems with boys!"

"Yet," I said.

"Just you wait, Saki," Miki said.

Sachiko just grinned, ignoring our warning.

**;;;;;**

I set the plates out that evening at dinner, and Kyo looked at his with fear in his eyes.

"Eat up, everyone!" I said.

"Are you crazy?" Kyo shouted. "I hate leeks!"

"And onions, and miso, and..." Shigure said. "Am I leaving anything out?"

"Hey, miso's okay as long as it's soup," Kyo said.

"I'm sorry, I guess I didn't know," I said.

"Don't blame her," Miki said threateningly.

Kyo made it clear that he wasn't afraid of Miki, and ignored her.

"I can make something else if you want. Just tell me what you'd like," I said.

Yuki scooped up some leeks in his chopsticks, pinched Kyo's nose shut, and shoved the leeks into his mouth. "Just eat," he said.

I sighed. It really is a shame that these two can't get along better, I thought. I have to wonder how it would be if Kyo knew that Yuki admired him a little bit. Who knows? Maybe there's even something about Yuki that Kyo admires.

"Um, Yuki?" Sachiko said. "Kyo's already passed out."

If they could just understand that, I continued, maybe there's a chance they'd actually stop fighting!

I tried to picture it in my head.

_"You know, all this time, I simply misunderstood you! I'm sorry."_

_"No, I'm sorry! From now on, let's be the best of friends!"_

On second thought...that's a little scary!

**When I first watched the anime, I laughed SO hard on that part where Tohru was trying to picture Yuki and Kyo getting along XD It's just like, "O.o Oh... Em... Gee... XDDD" hahahaha Let me know your thoughts! More to come soon! ^.^**


	13. Love is a Painful Thing

**I think it's ironic that a certain character makes her appearance in Chapter 13... Maybe I did it subconsciously...? Who knows? haha**

**EmiShae, I think your theory about who Saki will end up with is right... But I don't want to say and spoil it for you! XD Thank you so much for your review! :D**

**Okay, so let's get on with this! A new character is finally upon us!**

**-XIII. Love is a Painful Thing-**

One weekend morning, we all heard a rumbling outside. It shook the whole house, like an earthquake.

"What is that?" Sachiko asked.

"Sounds like she's here early," Shigure said.

"Ah!" Kyo screamed.

"I didn't know you were expecting anyone," I said.

Kyo jumped up and tried to run away.

Shigure caught the back of Kyo's sweatshirt in his hand. "Ah-ah, not so fast, Kyo," he said.

As the shaking stopped, the three of us went to the door. No one was there.

"Hello?" I asked.

No answer.

"But the door's open," Miki said. "And I know I shut it..."

We yelped as a figure suddenly appeared in the doorway.

I felt my heart skip a few beats, and then quicken.

"Are you...Kiku Oshiro? Sachiko Fujioka? Miki Miyamoto?" the girl asked.

"Uh, yes..." Sachiko said.

"Oh, um... Well, that's- I mean, umm..." the girl mumbled.

"Yes?" I asked.

The girl looked up at us, and our hearts calmed. "I'm Kagura," she said. "That's my name. Kagura Sohma."

We found ourselves smiling.

"Hi," Sachiko said.

What a cute little girl, I thought.

Kagura had dark brown hair, maybe a little longer than mine, and bangs across her forehead. She wore a short-sleeved green dress, a long-sleeved white shirt underneath, and white tights on her legs. She had a small stuffed-cat backpack on her back.

"Please," Kagura continued. "I...I heard that Kyo was here, and- Please tell me it's true? Is he?"

Miki and Sachiko gave me sideways glances.

I cleared my throat. "Oh, yes. Of course. Kyo's here. Would you like to come in and see him?"

She looked past us to the table, where Kyo was still trying to escape from Shigure. "Kyo...?" Kagura asked incredulously.

"Kagura!" he shouted. And it wasn't a happy shout either.

Kagura's hands flew to her mouth, and she looked ready to cry. "I don't believe it... It...it's really you! Kyo! Kyo!" she called as she ran over to him.

I wonder... I thought. Sohma's a pretty common name, I guess. So it could just be a coincidence. But maybe...maybe it means she's one of the Zodiac animals, too.

"Kyo!"

Shigure turned Kyo around to face Kagura.

"Why did you run away for so long? You didn't call...or write..."

I wondered why Kyo looked so terrified of this girl. From his expression, you would've thought she was a highly-trained assassin come to kill him or something.

"Where were you? Oh, darling... I missed you SO MUCH!"

My eyes widened (as did Miki's and Sachiko's) when Kagura punched Kyo right in the face. He flew right past Yuki's head, through the door, and out onto the back lawn.

Kagura ran after him, and proceeded to beat him further. "Love! You had me worried sick!" She grabbed his ankle, and started spinning him above her head.

Our eyes followed him around, and around, and around, and around... I was getting dizzy.

"Well, it appears we'll be needing another door, doesn't it?" It seemed that Yuki was perfectly calm about all this. It also seemed that things like this happened at Shigure's house a lot.

"Sometimes it feels like the whole world is conspiring to destroy my house," Shigure said sadly.

"I'm...sorry..." Sachiko said, our attention still focused on the ensuing fight (which was pretty one-sided, honestly).

"Oh, I was just kidding," Shigure said. "This is normal."

Miki snorted. "Normal?"

"Yes, it's Kagura's way of showing affection."

"I would have never guessed," Sachiko said.

"So then," Miki said, "from the looks of it, she must really like Orange-top a lot."

The two of them looked at me, and I pretended not to notice.

"Kagura _does_ tend to get a little carried away with her emotions. That's especially true when she's around Kyo. Believe it or not, she's two years older than us," Yuki said.

"Than you," Shigure said, nodding to Miki and I. "She's also part of the Zodiac."

"I knew it!" we said together. We laughed and high-fived.

"Which animal is she?" Sachiko asked.

"Funny," Shigure said, "I thought that would've been obvious by now."

"Did you even think about my feelings? No! You're awful! Awful!"

"I guess we were a little, uh...distracted," I said.

Kyo collapsed to the ground, and Kagura stopped. She gasped. "Kyo, my darling, you're hurt!" She fell on her knees next to him and took his head in her arms. "Speak to me! Who did this to you?"

"Um, you, I think," Shigure said.

**;;;;;**

After Kyo had regained consciousness, we went back inside.

A cold wind blew through the opening in the door, and Miki sneezed.

"It's cold in here," Yuki said.

"Yes, I noticed that, too," Shigure said.

"I'm sorry," Kagura said, now very much over her outburst. "When I saw Kyo, I got so happy...all my love just came out at once. I couldn't help it." She seemed ready to cry again.

I sensed that Miki was about to roll her eyes, so I elbowed her in the ribs. She took the hint.

It's like she's become a totally different person, I thought.

"But it is really your fault, too, Kyo," Kagura said to him.

Kyo was sitting with his back to her, in a corner, with an ice pack on his face.

"If you had just remembered to call, you wouldn't have made me miss you so hard!"

"Who says I forgot?" Kyo snapped. "Maybe I didn't want to call you!"

"Oh, silly, yes you did! We _are_ getting married, after all."

Okay, now I feel faint, I thought.

"Since when?" Kyo shouted.

"You mean you don't remember? When we were kids, you asked me to marry you!"

"Only because you were going to kill me if I didn't!"

The image of a young Kagura holding a rock over a young Kyo sprang to mind. Along with an image of Kagura brandishing a steak knife at Kyo. It was easy to believe Kyo's story.

"The two of you are engaged!" Sachiko said, playing along to annoy Kyo (I'm sure).

"That's wonderful!" Miki added (probably with the same design in mind).

Yuki and Shigure continued crunching on their snacks, not at all moved by this development.

"At least now he'll have someone else to fight instead of me," Yuki said.

"Congratulations," Shigure said.

"You guys!" Kyo shouted, pleading for help.

"We really do make the best couple," Kagura said, "since we're both members of the Zodiac. Well, Kyo's not officially a member, but he's still cursed, so it's almost the same thing. We can still understand each other in a way that no one else can. And that's good. But the best thing is," she said, throwing her arms around Kyo, "we can hug each other all we want, and we don't transform."

Kyo struggled to get free, but it was in vain.

I don't believe it! I thought. Kyo didn't turn into a cat!

"See?" Kagura asked, hugging Yuki as well. "It's okay for Zodiac members to hug."

"It's not okay for those two Zodiac members to be hugging over there," Miki muttered.

We grabbed her arms as a precaution.

"Why is that?" Sachiko asked Yuki.

"It's a mystery to us as well," he replied.

"Though we've seen it enough to know it isn't just a fluke with Kagura," Shigure said as Yuki pushed Kagura away. "She's one of a kind, granted, but she's not the only girl in the Zodiac."

"Really?" I asked. "I hope we get to meet them someday."

"Oh, I'm sure you will," Shigure said, smiling.

"Kyo!" Kagura cried, running back over to him.

Kyo leaned back as far as he could from her without actually laying down on the floor.

She just kept leaning closer. "You have to tell me! And be honest! Do you love me? Do you hate me? Because I love you! I do! More than anything else in the whole wide world!"

"Uhh..." was all Kyo said.

"I'll prove it!" Kagura continued. "I'll cook for you! Every day! I'll do anything! Even if you cheat on me, I can forgive a one-time fling!"

The three of us stifled our laughter.

"Wait, no-"

"No one else loves you this much, do they? No! Just me! We should always be together, don't you think?" She grabbed his shirt in her fist, shaking her other fist menacingly in his face. "I just told you what you think! Now say something, dammit!"

"Ahh, it pains my heart," Shigure said, almost as if to himself. "But, moving on..." He turned to me. "Kiku, correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't you say you were a bit of a cat-lover yourself?"

I smiled. "Yep! That's me! The Year of the Cat Fan Club!"

Kagura gasped. "Rival!" She ran over to me. "But I'm not going to lose!"

"Uhh..."

"Kiku, what do you like best about Kyo? Because I like everything! Everything!"

"Hey!" Kyo cut in, but she just kept on talking.

"The good things, the bad things- I like them all! I love Kyo no matter what! Even if he changes into his other fo-"

Kyo slapped a hand over Kagura's mouth. He was trembling, he was so angry.

What was she going to say? I wondered.

He grunted. "Shut your mouth. Right now. One more word, and I'll...I'll..."

Suddenly, Kagura flipped Kyo onto his back and yanked his arm back behind him. "And you'll WHAT, love?"

Kyo cried out in pain.

"You should really call 'mercy,' Kyo," Yuki advised.

While I was curious about what Kagura was talking about when she said, "even when he changes into...", I still had my cleaning instincts in me.

"Oh, I almost forgot about the laundry."

"Laundry?" Kagura asked as I walked out, her eyes shining. Though what they were shining with, I don't know.

I opened the washer, and pulled the wet clothes out. I then put them in the basket on the floor.

It's too bad I didn't get a chance to hear which Zodiac animal Kagura is, I thought. Oh well, who knows? Maybe I can ask her myself. Regardless of...well, whatever, I kinda hope we can be friends.

"That's not Kyo's shirt, is it?"

I yelped and jumped back. "Oh! Kagura, I didn't see you there," I said.

"So _is_ that Kyo's shirt?" she asked, jumping to my side.

"Oh, no, it isn't. This is Yuki's shirt. Kyo's are next on the list, though."

Even though Miki usually insists on doing Yuki's clothes herself for some reason or another, I added in my head.

"If it's okay with you," she said, picking up the basket of Kyo's clothes, "I'll do it! Please, can I?"

I smiled a little. "Sure, why not?"

"Yay! Thank you so much!" She ran out, and I poked my head out of the room to see where she was going.

Kyo was trying to sneak away while she'd been distracted, but it hadn't worked.

I should've held her back a little longer, I thought, snapping my fingers.

Kagura tackled Kyo, straddling his back. "Okay, take everything off!" she sang, trying to pull his shirt off his back.

Oy, I thought, shaking my head.

"Hey! Get offa me!" he protested. "What are you doing?"

"Your laundry, silly!" she said. "Now take off your clothes! Or do I have to wash you along with them?"

He sprang from her grip, sacrificing his shirt in the process.

I won't comment on that sight. But if I were going to, I would say something like, "Wow. Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow." But I won't.

"Where are you going?" Kagura whined.

"Away from you!" Kyo shouted back. He jumped off into the forest.

I took the opportunity to slip back into the laundry room.

"Don't worry. I'm sure he'll wander back when he gets hungry," I heard Shigure say.

True that, I thought with a smile.

I picked up the basket of wet clothes, and turned to see Kagura, looking positively defeated, in the doorway, holding Kyo's shirt.

"What's the matter?" I asked.

"Why is Kyo so mad at me?" she asked. "I don't understand," she sobbed, burying her face in his shirt.

"You know...he might not really be angry," I said. "Sometimes he just doesn't-"

Kagura pulled her face back from the shirt, disgust in her expression. "Ugh, that smell! How can you let him wear this?"

Maybe because he needs to get better about bringing his clothes down so we can wash them? I thought.

"My poor, sweet darling! You'll have clean clothes from now on, or I'm not the future Mrs. Kyo Sohma!" she cried, throwing clothes into the washing machine.

Something about that statement made me very sad. Luckily, I was good at hiding my emotions. Kagura didn't even notice as she poured soap in.

"I guess if you don't need anything, I'll just go hang up Yuki's shirts now," I said quietly.

"Let's see... How much detergent?" she mused. "Maybe a little bit more... One more scoop for love... Oh! Better yet, the whole thing!"

Oy, I thought as I went upstairs. I want us to be friends, but that girl's nuts! Not to say that I'm not, or that Miki and Saki aren't, but still, wow!

Miki and Sachiko came to help me hang up Yuki's clothes.

"So...what do you think?" Miki asked.

"Of what?" I asked.

"You know very well what. Of Kagura."

"Oh," I said, then shrugged. "She's nice. A little much, but...nice when you get down to it."

They looked at each other, then back at me.

"It doesn't bother you that she calls herself 'the future Mrs. Kyo Sohma'?" Sachiko asked.

A shiver ran up and down my spine at that phrase. Again.

I shrugged again. "I don't know what to think. We haven't been here long, and we just met Kagura this morning. We were all raised to give people the benefit of the doubt. I think Kagura deserves the same."

We were silent for a few moments.

"Oh, by the way."

I looked at Miki.

"Did you happen to catch half-naked Orange-top running across the lawn?"

My face got very hot.

"There's your answer," Sachiko said, pointing to my face.

They laughed, and I smiled and shook my head.

"So what?" I asked.

"So you like him!" Sachiko hissed.

"Oh, come off it," I said. "He's a short fuse that's lit twenty-four seven."

"And you were once that way, too," Miki pointed out.

"True. But things are different now. And Kyo's not me."

"Doesn't mean you can't like him," Miki said quietly, but the subject was dropped. A good thing, because I didn't want to resort to bringing Yuki into it.

The three of us were putting on our shoes by the front door when Yuki appeared. "There you three are," he said, smiling. "Are you still going out to shop for dinner?"

"Yep!" Sachiko said.

"I'll come with you," he said.

"Awesome," I said.

**3_3_3_3_3**

Kagura started the washing machine, not even thinking about how the amount of soap she had put in would affect things.

"Oh, yeah," she said, looking up. She walked into the kitchen and turned on the kettle. "There," she said. "Now when Kyo comes home, we can have a nice cup of tea. Yay!"

**3_3_3_3_3**

"I'm guessing you've noticed by now," Yuki said. "It would be sort of hard not to. But Kagura has a bit of a one-track mind when it comes to Kyo."

"Yeah, we sort of noticed," Miki said, glancing at me.

"She's had her heart set on marrying him since we were little kids, for whatever that's worth. It's pretty silly, I know."

"Not at all," I said.

Miki and Sachiko looked at me in surprise.

"I think it's amazing."

"Uh...you do?" Yuki asked.

"You do?" Miki and Sachiko asked.

"I mean," I continued, "that kind of devotion is pretty rare, you know?" I didn't know where these words were coming from, but I ran with it. "To like someone so much for that long... It really is wonderful, isn't it?"

"Wonderful," Miki muttered sarcastically.

"I hadn't thought of it like that," Yuki mused.

"In fact," I said, "I think she'd be a great person to have as a friend."

"What?" Miki and Sachiko hissed.

"You should try," Yuki said. "All of you. I think you'd be good influences on her."

"I don't know about that," Sachiko said, grinning.

"But it's nice of you to say," I added.

"I'll influence her brain right out of her skull," Miki muttered.

"You really don't like her that much?" I whispered.

Sachiko was distracting Yuki from our conversation, thankfully.

"Neither should you!" she accused. "Think of it as...the relationship I have with the Prince Yuki fangirls."

"Yes, but those girls are idiots, dear," I said.

Miki rolled her eyes. "My point is, with such attractive guys like these, there's bound to be competition."

I looked at her for a moment. "Did you just admit to liking Yuki?"

She gave me a look. "Not until you admit to liking Kyo. Deal?" She held out her hand.

"Deal."

**Thoughts? Comments? I'd love to hear 'em! X]**


	14. Kagura vs the Kitchen

**PHEW! Okay, finally got a moment to update! As I'm writing this, it is the night following my second day of COLLEGE. Yeah, crazy. Had my first Japanese class today! ^.^ My awesomely-amazing friend LatteJazz (go to her profile and check out her stories -they're amazing!) is taking it with me, and she made a comment about a certain phrase and a certain puppy (a.k.a., Zack Fair from FFVII)... And there's a Zachary in our class O.o**

**Anywhoo...**

**Mommiya: YAYYYY! Glad you liked it! :D Hehe Yay for epic! Thank you so much!**

**EmiShae: Zomg, thank you so much! *tears up* I'm glad you like the OCs! (The people they're based on -I'm including myself in this- are totally crazy, so it's sometimes hard to write them xD) Yes, the girls' past will be revealed in later chapters, and you find out more about why and how Kiku used to be like Kyo in ways... Don't wanna give away any spoilers ;) Ah, and speaking of which, thanks for not saying so other people don't see potential spoilers! haha Well, we'll see if you're right soon enough! ^.^ Thank you sooo much!**

**A'ight, let's go with Chapter 15!**

**-XIV. Kagura vs. the Kitchen-**

"Kyoo-ohh, I love you!" Kagura sang. "Waah-ha! No more smell! I'm a perfect wife!"

Kyo peeked out of his hiding place behind the bushes outside the house. "Finally," he said to himself. "Now I just gotta get my shirt back and then I get the hell out of here."

"Maybe I should wring it out a little to make it dry faster!" Kagura said to herself. She twisted one of Kyo's shirts in her hands. "Dry...damn...you...!"

The shirt ripped apart in her hands.

She gasped and looked down at the pieces.

"Ah!" Kyo said as he stumbled upon this scene. "Tell me you didn't do what I just think you did!"

"My love!" Kagura said, clutching the torn shirt to her chest.

"My shirt!"

Clearly, Kagura was the only one whose mind was on their "relationship."

"And I really liked this one, too..." Kyo said, taking the pieces from her.

"I'm sorry, darling," Kagura said. "I promise, I'll fix it right away. For now, you can wear this one," she said, holding out his red one.

"It's soaking wet!"

"That's because I washed it for you..."

"Is there anything of mine you didn't wash?"

She looked at him. "Your...pants..."

"What am I supposed to do now, go around half-naked? !"

Kyo didn't notice the wall of suds building up behind Kagura, but she noticed it.

"You want me to get pneumonia, is that it? !"

Now he noticed.

"Ahhh!" he screamed as the suds overtook them.

"Kagura, how much detergent did you use?" Shigure asked.

"All of it!" she cried from inside the suds formation.

Shigure sniffed. "Is something burning?"

"Oh, no, the tea!" Kagura cried.

She ran into the kitchen and, without thinking, picked up the kettle with her bare hands. She cried out in pain as the heat singed her hands, and dropped the kettle to the ground, where it caught the wood on fire.

Kyo tried to smother it by pressing his torn shirt down on it.

"Coming through..." Shigure warned in his sing-song way.

Neither of them had time to move before Shigure sprayed the whole room with the fire extinguisher he kept on hand for just such occasions. (He'd probably gotten one right after Kyo moved in. You understand, right?)

"Well, don't we look lovely?" Shigure said, smiling, as he looked at the three of them, covered in white.

"I can't believe you're laughing," Kyo grumbled.

"I...I'm sorry. I didn't do it on purpose," Kagura said.

"I know that, Kagura," Shigure said soothingly.

"You still did it!" Kyo snapped.

"I'm sorry," she said, on the brink of tears again. "I really am. Please, Kyo... I'm sorry."

"Yeah, so what? 'Sorry' isn't gonna get us a new kitchen!"

She sniffled. "What do you want me to _doooo_? !" She grabbed Kyo's arms, hooked her ankles around his legs, and bent him up over her backwards, cracking his back.

"Ooh, that hurts," Shigure said as he watched.

**3_3_3_3_3**

Yuki, Sachiko, Miki, and I stared at the kitchen in disbelief. Everything was charred and black, and there were traces of fire extinguisher goo all over.

Kagura was on her hands and knees on the floor with a rag, scrubbing with all her might at the floor.

"Well, you see..." Shigure started. "It-it's a long story."

"That's alright. I think I can guess what happened," Yuki said, shaking his head.

"We'll help clean up," Sachiko said as we walked into the kitchen.

"I can do it," Kagura stated simply, looking up at us.

"But it's too much work for you all by yourself," I said. I elbowed Miki in the ribs.

"Yeah." Miki cleared her throat. "Too much work."

"No, please!" Kagura cried. "Let me do it! I want to. It's my fault the kitchen's like this."

"At least she's being consistent," Shigure said. "She wouldn't let me help either."

"Please," Kagura continued. "It's okay. I'll do it all."

"Well..." I said. "If you insist."

**;;;;;**

"Do you really think it's okay to leave her in there?" Sachiko asked as we knelt around the table.

"Don't worry," Yuki said. "Kagura's always been the resilient type. I'm sure she just needs some time to herself."

"Of course, the real crisis here is that we won't be able to cook any dinner while the kitchen's wrecked..." Shigure said. "I guess we're just going to have to grit our teeth and call for take-out." He sighed. "And I was so looking forward to another of the girls' delicious home-cooked meals..."

Yuki shook his head. "So, where'd the other home-wrecker go?" he asked.

"Where else?" Shigure said, pointing up. "He's still busy sulking, I think. We'd probably do well to keep our distance for a while." He looked at me. "Though I'm sure you're brave enough to go up there and talk to him, Kiku."

My face flushed. "Maybe not...just yet," I said. "While it's true that talking things out is good, time alone to think is just as good."

"Wise words," Shigure said.

I smiled a little, thinking of the many times my own mother had told me that very same thing.

**;;;;;**

Yuki, Shigure, Miki, Sachiko, and I ate our take-out meals.

"I'm gonna burst," Shigure said, laying down his chopsticks. "Ahh, full, full, full!"

"You, ladies?" Yuki asked.

"Couldn't eat another bite," Miki said.

I looked at the two meals still left. "What about Kyo and Kagura? They must be hungry. We shouldn't let their meals get cold..."

"Ah, let's see..." Shigure said. "Am I brave enough to go look for Kyo just yet? Hmm...no." He pointedly looked at me, and I pretended not to notice. "But I think I can chance the kitchen."

The rest of us went upstairs to get ready for bed.

"Are you going to see to Kyo?" Sachiko asked quietly as I brushed my teeth.

"Maybe," I said, my mouth full of toothpaste. "If he doesn't come down soon, anyway. But what about Kagura?"

We both looked at Miki.

"What're you looking at me for?" she asked.

"You should go see if she's okay," Sachiko said.

"Why me?"

"Because you dislike her the most," I said, spitting into the sink.

Miki sighed. "Fine. I'll go down a little later and check on her."

"Good."

**3_3_3_3_3**

Shigure quietly walked to the doorway of the kitchen after everyone else had gone upstairs.

Kagura was still in her place on the floor, but the kitchen looked much better.

"Kagura? You know we ordered you some dinner. You should eat it before it gets cold," he said.

"Thanks, but... I'll eat it later. You can just leave it out there for now," she replied. "How's Kyo? Is he still angry?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," Shigure said. "He still hasn't come down from hiding."

"You're angry at me too, aren't you." She didn't phrase it as a question.

"No, I wouldn't say that," he said. "I'm not angry. Of course...I can't say I'd want to...repeat this little incident."

Kagura stopped scrubbing and sat up on her knees, her back still to him. "Shigure, please let me stay here too," she said. "I don't think I can leave knowing Kyo's living in this house with other women. With that woman..."

"Woman?" He chuckled. "We're talking about Kiku now, right?" he asked.

"No, I can't wait that long! I have to force Kyo to make up his mind tonight!" she said decidedly.

"That's not a good idea," Shigure warned.

"You don't know!" she cried, standing. "You don't understand how a woman feels when she's in love!"

"Yes, I do."

She looked at him in surprise.

"Or, at least, I've felt enough women to venture a guess..."

"What?"

"Sorry, that's your cue to say 'Shigure, you perv!' and slap me, whatever."

Kagura looked at him for a moment, then laughed. "Shigure! You big perv!" she shouted, punching him in the back and chasing him around the living room. "Ha ha ha ha! Pervert! Pervert! Ha ha ha ha!"

**Gah, why do the chapters always look so much shorter when I post them? ! *sigh...* I'll get better about making them longer -I promise! Until then, what'dya think? Let me know! ^.^**


	15. Mending

**Yay! I'm updating on time today! ^.^ I'm between classes now, so I found a little time to do this, luckily.**

**EmiShae: Yeah, I'm a little nervous about having to learn the characters and things, but I'm also very excited! As I told my friend, I think my enthusiasm to learn the language will quell any discouragement about the massive amounts of homework we may receive xD Thanks so much for you review! :D**

**Sooo, Kagura showed up (as you already know)! I think those are some of my favorite episodes / chapters -the ones when new characters come along. There will definitely be more in the future! Thanks for all the encouragement, everyone!**

**Here's Chapter 15! Enjoy!**

**-XV. Mending-**

Miki, true to her word, went downstairs later that night to check on Kagura. The kitchen was now spotless. She also noticed that Kagura's meal was still sitting on the counter, untouched. She must be starving, Miki thought. I know I would be.

Miki heard something like tape being ripped from a roll, and followed the sound. Kagura, who looked absolutely exhausted, was taping the door back together.

"Kagura?" she asked.

"This'll take me all night. I know it," Kagura said.

Miki wasn't sure if Kagura had heard her. Has she been working this whole time? she wondered.

Kagura's stomach growled. "I'm so hungry..."

Miki got an idea, and went back to the kitchen. After a few minutes, she came back with three rice balls.

"Hi, there," she said.

Kagura looked at her in surprise.

"Um...I made you a snack. I noticed you hadn't eaten your dinner yet, and I thought you might be hungry. So I made you some rice balls with the leftovers. I hope it's okay that I served them cold. I can heat them up, if you'd like."

"No."

They looked at each other.

"I mean...I like them this way."

They smiled at each other.

Kagura grabbed a rice ball, and Miki watched as she swallowed it in one bite.

Wow, she thought. And I thought I ate fast.

"I'm sorry."

Kagura looked at Miki as she chewed.

"I mean...if I gave you the wrong impression before. I...I guess I didn't think we'd get along, so I acted mean to push you away and make you not like me."

Kagura smiled and shook her head in a "Forget it" kind of way.

Miki smiled. "Now let's see if we can finish fixing this door."

Kagura looked surprised again.

"I think the job'll be more fun if we work together."

Kagura smiled. "Yes. That would be nice. But...could I have another rice ball first?"

Miki smiled. "Of course."

Miki and Kagura didn't notice Shigure peeking out from his room, watching them. He smiled to himself, then pulled back into his room, satisfied that the bond was mended between them.

"So...this Kiku girl?"

"Yes," Miki said, preparing herself for what was coming.

"Do her and Kyo get along?"

Miki laughed softly. "It's hard to imagine Kyo getting along with anyone. I think that Kiku... I think she's brave about him. She's always the first to approach him when he's at maximum rage, and nothing seems to deterr her. He even told her to stay away..."

"Sounds like Kyo," Kagura said, and they both laughed a little.

"I guess she's just determined to make friends out of every person she meets. That's just the kind of girl she is."

Kagura smiled and nodded, turning her attention back to the door.

**;;;;;**

They had just finished covering the door when Kagura said, "Hey, lookie, lookie!" She held up a white cat head that she had cut from the paper.

Miki laughed softly. "It's a cat, right?"

"Yep! I'll put it right here," Kagura said, taping it to the door.

"I'll make one, too." Miki cut the paper and held it up for Kagura to see.

"Aw, how cute! A little rat!"

"You can tell?" Miki asked.

"Uh-huh! It's adorable!"

"Thanks! I'll put it...here..."

"I'm gonna make another one!"

"Me, too! I'll make a dog!"

"I'll make...another cat!"

Yes, Miki thought, a one-track mind.

**;;;;;**

"Miki?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you. I hope we can be friends from now on?"

"Yes. I'd like that."

**1_1_1_1_1**

I crept down the hall from my room, the bottoms of the sweatpants I slept in hanging loosely around my ankles. I tugged on the bottom of my tank top as I looked up at the ceiling, thinking of Kyo still up there.

The floorboards creaked under me as I walked over to the ladder that led to the roof.

As I've said before, I'd had martial arts training. I wasn't incapable.

Instead of using the ladder, I jumped up, grabbed the edge of the roof, and swung myself up and over, landing in a crouch as quietly as a...well, a cat (no pun intended).

"Kyo?"

He cried out a little and jumped. "Kiku?" he asked in disbelief.

"You're not really planning on staying up here the whole night, are you?" I asked, ignoring his question. Of course it was me.

"Better believe it!" he said, sitting up. "Kagura's still down there!"

"You don't want her to be here?" I asked.

"What do you think? You see what happens when she's around. It's always like that," he said, running his hand through his hair. "She's crazy! And she won't ever shut up about all that stupid 'marriage' crap. I can't stand it!"

"I think it's sweet."

He looked at me.

"When you have someone who loves you as much as she does... You should...really feel lucky...you know?" I was blinking back tears as I said it, and I didn't know why.

He was looking at me more intently now, and I willed myself not to cry, wishing that he wouldn't notice the excessive blinking necessary to hold back the tears.

"And I think every girl dreams about getting married one day," I said. "Kagura just dreams a little...louder than most."

I stopped, and got an idea. Kyo looked a little surprised that I had just stopped talking, and then more surprised at my dismount from the roof (I basically just jumped off).

I came back up the same way I had before, this time with three rice balls.

"I noticed that you hadn't eaten, so I made these for you," I said.

He sat looking at them, his legs crossed and his hands on his ankles. I suddenly thought the he looked...very cute. A lot younger and a lot more vulnerable, too.

He picked up one of the rice balls, tasted it, and then quickly devoured it and the other two.

I sat next to him on the roof as he finished eating. I looked out at the half moon and the slightly clouded sky. It brought back memories of sitting on my own roof, my mom pointing out the constellations to me.

"Kyo," I said.

He looked at me.

"You have a dream too, don't you? To beat Yuki? Isn't that why you were up in the mountains for so long, training?"

"Hmm? Yeah- Oh. Guess Shigure told you," he said.

"That must've been really hard," I said. "Being out there all by yourself."

"I wasn't alone," he said. "I was with my master."

"Oh, a master," I said. "I'll bet he's really strong." Mine was, I added to myself.

"Are you kidding?" he asked. "He could flatten that sissy rat-boy with one punch!" He stood up, looking at the stars. "My master's as strong as they come! He's a Sohma, but he never treated me like the others do."

What does that mean? I wondered.

"He's been teaching me how to fight ever since I was a little kid! Sure, he put me through hell up there in the mountains, but those were some of the best days of my life! It's like every day was an adventure, you know? I'd wake up every morning and ask myself, 'What's he gonna teach me?' 'How much stronger am I gonna get today?' It was great! Ahh, listen to me! Just talking about it gets me pumped up!"

He stopped and looked at me, then jumped back down to his sitting position. "But this must seem pretty boring to someone like you, huh?"

"Are you kidding?" I asked, echoeing him.

He looked at me.

I smiled. "I've been training since I was a kid, too."

"Guess I should've seen that coming, what with those fancy moves you were doing to get up here," he said.

"Ladders are for sissies," I said.

He looked at me, and I thought he was almost smiling.

"But can you fight?"

"You know it," I said. "I haven't used any fighting moves in a while, probably since middle school, but I can show you what I've got. Hmm...let's see..uh... Right Straight!" I crossed my right arm over my body and punched him in the shoulder.

Kyo didn't even flinch.

He looked at me for a moment. Then he actually cracked a smile. "You suck."

I smiled, rolled my eyes, and pushed him playfully.

He laughed, and I was astonished. He was laughing. Kyo Sohma, the short fuse that was always burning, was _laughing_.

And now the world's going to end, I thought. I've seen it all.

I think I've discovered something else about Kyo, I thought. Underneath that angry face he usually makes, he's been hiding this little, awkward smile.

"Now, when you punch, you gotta put your whole body into it."

"Oh, right."

"'Course, for you, that can't be much..."

"Oh, stop."

"How much do you weigh, twenty pounds?"

"Ninety, thank you very much!"

"Wow."

"Shut up!"

**;;;;;**

The next morning was a school day, so we woke up and got ready to go, of course. Well, not before we filled each other in on what happened last night. Also of course.

Miki's and Sachiko's jaws dropped when I told them my story.

"He likes you!"

"You flirted!"

"Hush, you two!" I said, trying to seem angry with them. "At least Kagura's on good terms with all of us now."

Miki and I looked at Sachiko, who was grinning. Something told me that she had -somehow- planned all that. But I had absolutely no idea how.

"Kyo! Darling!" Kagura threw her arms around Kyo. "Goodbye, my love! Take care of yourself till I come back!"

Kyo cried out as if he were in great pain, and it was all I could do not to laugh.

"Glad to see everything's back to normal," Miki said.

I gave Kyo a sideways glance, wondering if he was going to pretend like our interaction last night had never happened. I smiled a little to myself. It'd be so like him to do that, I thought.

"Incidentally, did you ever figure out which animal Kagura is?" Shigure asked.

"Uh-uh," Sachiko said, shaking her head.

"Kyo! Be nice, or I'm not gonna kiss you goodbye!"

"Who needs it? !"

Who needs to see it? I asked in my head.

"That's it! Kyo, you jerk! I'm leaving you, Love!" She ran out and right through the door Miki and her had fixed last night.

Miki sighed.

"Hello!" a voice said from outside. "It is I! Your ever-reliable paper boy, come to deliver the news of the day!"

We all gasped.

"This is bad," Shigure said.

Kagura, of course, ran right into the boy. There was a puff of grey smoke.

What now? ! I screeched in my head. If that guy sees Kagura's Zodiac form-!

Yuki suddenly appeared and ran outside. He slapped his hand over the boy's eyes. "Thanks for all your hard work," he said.

"Oh, sure, it's my job! Sorry I was a little late today," the boy said.

Yuki pushed him away.

"Goodbyeeee!"

We looked down at where Kagura had been as the smoke cleared. There, sitting on the lawn, was a little brown boar.

"We figured it out!" I said, walking over and picking her up. "Kagura's a Boar!"

"In more ways than one," Kyo muttered.

"I think that's cheating," Shigure said.

I looked at Kagura. "Kagura... You know, I think I'm beginning to understand better why it is you like Kyo so much. He really does have a lot of good qualities. And the more I learn about them the more I want to see him the way you do."

Kagura turned and glared at Kyo. She leaped out of my hands and proceeded to beat Kyo. Again.

"Kyo! You two-timer!"

"Uh...uh..." I stuttered.

"I thought she was going to forgive his little flings," Sachiko said.

"I will forgive him right after I kill him!" Kagura shouted.

"What the hell did I do? !" Kyo yelled.

"Uh...'scuse me..." I said. "Maybe I should start over."

Kagura froze, perched on Kyo's head.

"What I'm trying to say is, I hope I can be like you when it comes to finding all the good qualities in the people I care about. They're not always easy to see."

"You...want to be like me?" Kagura asked incredulously.

Kyo's eyes widened and he shook his head a little, as if silently screaming, "Hell no! I can't even handle _one_ Kagura!"

I laughed softly. "Yeah," I said, nodding. "It's wonderful the way you find so many things to like about one person."

Kagura looked at me, her eyes shining. Then there was another puff of grey smoke, and she was human again. "I don't know what to say!" Kagura said, hiding behind Kyo.

"Put on some clothes!" Kyo yelled.

**;;;;;**

After that, we headed off to school.

Kagura parted from us as soon as we got to the road. "Okay, bye, bye!" she called, waving. "Oh, and I'll bring you a new shirt next time I come over, Kyo! Love you!"

The three of us waved, Yuki silently stood by, and Kyo grumbled to himself, his back turned.

"Bye! See you later!" Sachiko called.

We looked after her until she disappeared down the road.

I felt myself smiling.

Kyo turned and, upon seeing my smile, said, "Hey! What's that look for? !"

"Nothing," I said. "You're just..." I exhaled. "...so lucky."

"Don't even start! C'mon! We're gonna be late!" He stalked off, and Sachiko and I followed.

Yuki and Miki were behind, but not so far behind that we didn't hear their conversation.

"Oh, well...there was such a commotion," Yuki said, "that I couldn't even do any gardening."

"Ah, the base," Miki said. "Those leeks we picked were delicious. Are you planting something new?"

Yuki's base must be a garden of some sort, I thought.

"Yes, strawberries." I knew he was smiling.

"Really? I can't wait! I love strawberries!"

He laughed softly. "I thought you might. That's why I'm planting them."

Miki gasped a little. "Oh...thanks!"

Before the situation could be discussed any further, the ground started shaking.

"Here she comes again," I said. "Saki, cue theme music!"

She hummed out the first part of Beethoven's 5th. It fit perfectly. We both laughed as Kagura sped past us to Kyo, and proceeded to tackle him.

"Kyo! Stop right there! I almost forgot to give you a goodbye kiss! C'mon! Pucker up! Kiss me! Kiss me!"

Eww, I thought. How about something like, "Don't and say you did"?

All of a sudden, I thought, I'm feeling like there are a few things I need to do. I'd like to learn more about Kyo and Yuki if I can. About the things they like, and the things they don't like. I know Miki and Saki do, too. I think it might help us to understand them both a little bit better. And who knows? Maybe it will help us find all the good qualities in them we haven't seen before.

And I won't worry about last night, I told myself. I'm just glad that Kyo and I are closer friends now. That's all that matters. I can live with that.

I looked at Kagura, still trying to kiss Kyo.

At least, I continued, for now...

I'm glad we've gotten to know them as well as we have, but I know we'd all still like to get to know them better. And I think we can, little by little.

**Ah, this one was a litte longer, I think. I'm getting better about that xD Anywhoo, hope you liked it! Let me know what'cha think! ^.^**


	16. The Riceball

**Eep! Another reviewer to add to my thank-yous: Kimmytrainer! Thanks so much for your reviews! :D (And thanks to EmiShae, too!)**

**EmiShae: You have just given me a brilliant idea for some future happening with these characters, so THANK YOU hahaha Thank you so much for your encouraging and funny reviews! ^.^**

**A'ight, let's get going with chapter 16! Let me know what'cha think!**

**-XVI. The Riceball-**

Miki and I put that plan into action the next day at school. The one about wanting to get to know Yuki and Kyo better. We figured that learning about the things they liked was a good place to start.

We went to the library and looked up books on gardening and martial arts. I even found one that had some great dinner recipes in it. We picked a table in the corner, spread the books out, and started reading.

"Ah, Miss Oshiro, I've been looking for you."

We both looked up at the sound of my name.

"Oh?" I asked.

"You have a phone call waiting in the staff office," the man said. "Come with me, please?"

"Uh, yes, sir," I said, grabbing my bag and standing.

Miki looked a little worried, but I sent her a reassuring smile. What could've possibly been wrong?

The man pointed out the phone in the office, and I picked it up. "This is Kiku," I said.

I stood up straighter at the familiar voice on the other end.

"Grandpa, hi!"

When I heard what he had to say, it felt like all time had stopped. Well, Miki was right, I thought as I walked back to the library. I should've been worried.

**;;;;;**

I told Miki and Sachiko after school, and made them promise not to tell Yuki, Kyo, or Shigure. I would tell them. I think Yuki, Kyo, and Shigure noticed something was wrong, but they didn't ask about it.

Later that afternoon, Miki, Sachiko, and I knelt down at the table across from Shigure, who was reading the paper. Kyo was outside the open door on the lawn, punching at the air, and Yuki was off somewhere else.

"We...just found out that the rennovations are done."

Shigure put his paper down, and Kyo stopped and turned to look at us.

"I, uh...got a call from my grandfather up at the school. He told me."

"Ah, I see," Shigure said. "And if memory serves, you all were planning to move back into the house once the work was done, is that right?"

"What rennovations?" Kyo asked, now just outside the door instead of on the lawn.

"Oh, I guess we never told you, Kyo," Shigure said.

"So what? Tell me now."

"Well, you see," I said, "after the accident, we went to stay with my grandfather, on my father's side. But then we found out that my aunt, her husband, and their children were going to move into the house, too, and Grandpa decided it would be a good idea to have some remodeling done, you know, to make more room for everyone.

"So he went to stay with my aunt while the work was going on, and we stayed here so we wouldn't miss school. Well, we didn't stay _here_-here. Not at first, I mean. We were living in a tent for a while. But anyway, now that they've finished with all the construction, it looks like we can go back-"

"Okay! Enough already!"

I snapped my head up and looked at him.

He cut off whatever he was going to say next, and exhaled, looking down at the ground, as if he were sorry he had yelled at me. "I get it."

"I'm sorry, I just thought..." I didn't finish my sentence.

"Don't mind him," Shigure said.

"I'll try," Miki grumbled.

"I think we caught him a little off-guard with the news is all," Shigure said. "We've just witnessed a classic example of what I like to call 'misdirected rage.' I believe the technical term is 'being an ass.'"

The three of us couldn't help laughing a little at that.

"You are so full of it!" Kyo yelled at him.

"I guess I can understand," Shigure continued, as if Kyo hadn't spoken. "This _does_ seem sudden."

"I suppose we should go ahead and get our things packed," Sachiko said. "While we still have the rest of the afternoon. We'll try to be out of your way by this evening."

"Please," Shigure said as Kyo turned his back to us, "don't hurry on our account. Feel free to take as much time as you need."

"Thanks," I said, "but I'm sure they could use our help straightening up and everything. And like the saying goes, 'Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.'"

We bowed and stood from the floor.

"We'll be right upstairs if you need us," Miki said.

We slid open the door and nearly ran into Yuki as we headed for the stairs. My heart cracked a little at the sight of his expression, and I am almost positive I heard Miki's crack, too. He looked stunned, as if someone had just told him that he'd been given a month to live.

"Oh, Yuki," Sachiko said.

"Thank you so much for everything you've done for us," Miki said, and we all bowed.

"Uh...anytime," he said.

We kept on going to the stairs.

I couldn't swear to it, but I was pretty sure I saw a single tear fall from Miki's eye as she went into her room.

**3_3_3_3_3**

Yuki looked after the three of them sadly.

Shigure looked at Yuki and sighed. "A thousand perfectly lovely things you could have said, but what poetry spews from your mouth? 'Anytime.' Really, Yuki. I think that must be the most unsentimental thing I've ever heard, or, at the very least, insensitive. How do you expect to sustain any kind of, oh, I don't know, meaningful relationship with any of these girls...?"

Yuki tuned out his cousin's prattle, thinking instead of what life at Shigure's house would be like now that they- now that _she_ was leaving.

**;;;;;**

Yuki sat across from Shigure at the table, and Kyo lay on his side, facing away from them towards the closed door, his right arm cushioning his head.

"Aren't you going to try?" Shigure asked, breaking the silence. "To stop them, I mean."

"Why would we?" Yuki asked. "We've known from the start that they were only staying here until the remodeling was finished."

"Hmm..." Shigure said. "Well, even so, it does seem stuffy in here, doesn't it?"

They were silent for a moment.

"Let 'em go," Kyo said.

Yuki and Shigure looked at him.

"We should have never allowed outsiders into this house to begin with."

Kyo didn't let on what he was really thinking (he rarely did). _Let her go._

**1_1_1_1_1**

I knelt on the floor of my room, putting my books and things into my bags.

I really had it wrong this time, I thought. I don't know why I thought we'd be able to go on living here with everyone, like a family.

I looked at my mom's photograph. Oh, Mom, I thought. I can be such a fool sometimes, can't I?

You know, this reminds me of something that happened when I was little, before I met Miki and Saki, I thought.

There was this game the kids used to play. Fruits Basket.

_"You're an apple!"_

_"You're a banana!"_

_"You're an orange!"_

_"A watermelon!"_

_"Cherry!"_

_"Pear!"_

_"Peach!"_ the kids would call, pointing to each of the kids in turn.

Then they would get to me. _"Kiku! You get to be the rice ball!"_

_"The rice ball!"_ I had answered. _"Ooh, that sounds yummy!"_

I guess they were only trying to tease me a little bit, the way kids do sometimes. But I didn't know that then. (And it was the beginning of a whole lot of other crap, but I'll get to that later.)

The game went on, and all the other kids were called, one by one. Everyone was running and laughing. And I sat there, smiling, hoping one of them would shout "rice ball" so I could play, too.

Yeah, I thought, packing up more things. Even since back then, I've never been very good about thinking things through.

I picked up my bags and looked at my now very empty room. I looked at the bed, stripped of its sheets. I looked at the desk, the top now clear and clean. I looked at the ceiling, at the patched up hole that Kyo had made on the day we'd met him.

On the day we'd discovered the curse.

I should've known, I thought. There was no way I could've joined the game. A rice ball doesn't belong in a fruits basket.

**;;;;;**

"There's some fish left in the refrigerator," Sachiko said. "Eat it soon so it doesn't go bad, okay?"

"And you're almost out of soy sauce, so you'll need to pick some up at the store," Miki said.

"And don't forget, they changed the day to pick up garbage, so be sure you put it out on time," I said.

"What else...?" Miki mused.

"Oh, here," I said, pulling a folded-up piece of paper out of my bag. "I wrote down my grandfather's address and everything. So if there's anything you can't figure out, you know where to find us!"

"Thank you, girls," Shigure said, taking the piece of paper from my hand. "You really are too good to us."

"Not at all!" I said. "We're the ones who should say that to you!"

"And don't worry," Sachiko said. "We won't tell anyone about your family curse."

"Oh, yeah..." Miki and I said together.

Shigure laughed.

"Cross our hearts and hope to die," we said together.

Shigure smiled and nodded.

"Speaking of which," Yuki said, "where is that cat?"

"I'd think you'd know by now," Shigure said. "After all, sulking on the roof does seem to be one of the strange little ways Kyo shows he cares."

We just smiled, knowing that it was true.

"Anyway," Shigure said to us, "good luck settling into your new home."

"Thanks," Miki said.

And with that, we turned and walked out of the house.

A strange feeling washed over me as the cool evening breeze touched my skin. It felt like a part of me had been left behind in that house. Had been left behind in those people.

We all turned and looked at the house for a few moments. Then we grasped each other's hands, and set off through the forest.

**3_3_3_3_3**

"Well, as far as goodbyes go," Shigure said as he and Yuki walked into the kitchen, "that felt pretty good, I guess."

They noticed a tray on the table, and a little note from the girls saying that they'd left them one last dinner, and that they hoped they liked it.

Shigure smiled. "Although I'd be lying if I didn't say it left me feeling a little bit sad, too."

Yuki remained silent, his mind too full to say anything.

**3_3_3_3_3**

We made it to my grandfather's house around dinner time.

"It's nice to see you again," I said to my aunt as we bowed.

"I didn't expect to see you girls so soon," she said. "You certainly don't waste any time."

We chuckled nervously, already feeling how unwanted we were by these people.

"Ah! Kiku! Miki! Sachiko! Welcome home!"

"That's more like it," Miki whispered.

Sachiko elbowed her in the ribs.

"Hi, Grandpa," I said, bowing. "It's good to be back."

**;;;;;**

Though the house was now bigger, the sharing of rooms was still necessary. I would be sharing a room with one of my cousins (the only girl), and Miki and Sachiko were sharing a room down the hall.

Kneeling in that new room, I sadly unpacked my things, thinking of how things were going back at Shigure's house.

"I hope they found everything," I said to myself. "We probably should've at least stayed to see that they got some dinner..."

I looked at the books Miki and I had gotten from the library and sighed. Something about them made me sad, though I couldn't put my finger on it right away.

Though now I know I felt sad because I was already missing them.

"Hey! Are you done putting your junk away, or what?"

I jumped. "Oh, I'm sorry! I-I'm almost finished!" I stuttered.

"I swear," my cousin said. "What's the point of moving into a bigger house if I'm going to get stuck sharing a room with someone? Just put that stuff somewhere I can't see it," she said as she walked off down the hall.

Miki and Sachiko walked up then.

Miki was glaring after my cousin. "'Put that stuff somewhere I can't see it'," she said mockingly. "She's just lucky she's not sharing a room with me. But she's still gonna have to sleep with one eye open while I'm here. I swear, she's worse than Orange-top."

Sachiko laughed softly, and I cracked a smile.

Already, this didn't feel like home.

**3_3_3_3_3**

"Sachiko? Kiku? Miki? What's for breakfast, I'm starving!"

Yuki and Kyo shot daggers from their eyes at Shigure.

Shigure sighed sadly. "I forgot! Our dear, sweet girls have gone, gone away!"

Yuki gave him a look. "That sounded like you 'forgot' on purpose."

"No, of course not!" Shigure said. "That would be pretty despicable, don't you think? But you know, with the girls not here, it does feel like all the fire's gone out of this kitchen, doesn't it? Suddenly it feels so cold and dreary!"

"Dammit!" Kyo shouted. "You are saying that on purpose, aren't you? !" He lunged at him, but Shigure stopped him with a palm to his forehead.

"In any event," Shigure continued, as if he weren't holding Kyo back, "consumed by grief though we are, I suppose we can't help but get hungry at some point. Which reminds me, Miki left us a pot of her delicious beef stew in the refrigerator, yes?"

Yuki opened the fridge and pulled out a pot.

"There," Shigure said, smiling. "Now why don't you heat that up for us, Yuki?"

"You're joking, right?" Yuki asked dryly.

"Oh, of course," Shigure said. "You're not too handy in the kitchen, are you?" He turned to Kyo. "Well, Kyo, I guess that leaves you!"

"Why do I gotta do it? !" he snapped.

"No, no, it's alright," Shigure said sadly. "If you don't mind letting the last of the wonderful beef stew that the girls put their hearts and souls into preparing for us get burned to a crisp, then neither do I. After all, I suppose burnt beef stew will be just as satisfying as burnt miso soup, or burnt rice, or burnt eggs, or any of the fine burnt dishes Yuki used to make for us before Kiku, Miki, and Sachiko fell into our lives.

"Ah, yes, we all seemed to do quite well on our charcoal-rich diet. I'm sure there's no reason we won't grow accustomed to it again- Huh?"

He looked up to see Kyo stirring the pot, heating it on the stove top. Shigure smiled, pleased with himself.

Yuki rolled his eyes, knowing very well that Kyo most likely gave in just to shut Shigure up.

**;;;;;**

Kyo poured the now hot stew into three bowls and set them out on the table.

"I'd have to rate your presentation a zero," Yuki said.

"Fine!" Kyo shouted. "So do it yourself next time!"

"We thank you for this stew, Miki, Sachiko, Kiku," Shigure said, wanting Kyo and Yuki not to start another fight that would most likely end in some part of his house getting destroyed again, "wherever you are."

He took a slurp, and sighed happily. "Ah, I'm in heaven."

Kyo and Yuki ate silently.

"And to think," Shigure said to them, "two bright, handsome young men like you couldn't even find a way to keep the girls who cooked this delicious stew from leaving. Oh, the tragedy..."

"If they can go back to Miss Oshiro's grandfather's house," Yuki said, as he and Kyo both gave Shigure looks, "there's no reason for them to stay here, is there?"

Shigure sighed sadly, as if he hadn't noticed their glares. "I'm afraid only our sorrow will tell us, as the long, lonely hours pass us by."

Yuki and Kyo were not amused.

Shigure sighed again. "And our only solace will be the few scattered traces of their presence left about the house."

Kyo and Yuki continued eating.

"Like this cute little strawberry towel, for instance," Shigure continued, producing the towel from under the table. "Miki left it hanging in the shower. I have but to press it against my face-"

Yuki and Kyo's backs stiffened.

Shigure breathed deep. "-and the sweet smell that used to fill this house reminds me of happier days."

Kyo and Yuki both jumped up and hit Shigure.

"You sick bastard!" Kyo shouted.

Then they took their seats again and calmly continued eating.

Shigure lay on the ground, twitching painfully. Though he was injured, he was somehow satisfied- he'd gotten a reaction out of them, and it pertained to the girls.

**1_1_1_1_1**

"Say, I found these socks in my drawer," my other cousin said. "You put them there?" he asked Miki.

"Yeah, I did," she said. "What's it to you?"

"Do these really look like something I'd wear?" he retorted.

"You are asking the wrong girl," she said, continuing with her ironing.

"Oh, I swear. What's the use? Make a note. These are Grandpa's socks."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," she mumbled.

Sachiko and I shook our heads, and continued with our chores.

"Kiku, could you spare a moment?" my aunt called from the kitchen.

"Coming!" I called back, and scurried down the hall.

"Could you hand me one of the big serving plates?" she asked as she stirred food in a wok.

"Uh, sure," I said. I walked over to the wooden dishware cabinet and looked through the glass doors for the big serving plates. I didn't see them.

After a few moments, my aunt sighed. She walked over to a cabinet under the counter, and pulled the plate out. "For future reference, we keep them under here. Remember that."

"Uh, yes," I said, apologizing that I hadn't known.

I thought back, smiling a sad smile, to being at Shigure's, and knowing where all the plates and things were because we had put them there. And of Shigure and Kyo and Yuki watching us cook, and being so happy at the food we'd made. Or in Kyo's case, his version of happy.

It made me miss them even more.

That night, I crept into my room as silently as possible, because my cousin was already asleep. I crossed the room to the window, and looked out at the stars.

I didn't know it was a full moon tonight, I thought as I laid eyes on it. It's beautiful. I smiled to myself, wondering if Yuki and Kyo could see it, too.

I left my room and went to Miki's and Sachiko's to see if they were still awake. They were looking at the moon, too. I sat down next to them, and we all put our arms around each other.

"I miss them," Sachiko said quietly.

I nodded.

"Me, too," Miki said.

"We'll be okay," I said. "We'll be able to see them at school, still."

"Yeah, not me," Sachiko said.

We sat in silence for a moment.

"Kiku?"

I looked at Sachiko.

"I hate to say this, and I have to leave your grandfather out of this...but I really don't like your family."

"Me either," Miki said.

I sighed. "Join the club. But where else can we go?"

I knew we were all thinking the same answer, but none of us spoke it.

I wondered if they missed us. Wondered what they were doing. Maybe, I thought, we're all looking at the moon together.

**3_3_3_3_3**

Kyo lay on the roof, looking at the moon.

Yuki put his toothbrush back in its place, and noticed the strawberry towel hanging on the rack next to him.

Shigure sat in his office, reading.

And all their thoughts were centered on one thing. Or three people, as the case was.

**Random side note: Tohru's line about a riceball not belonging in a fruits basket was one of the many _Furuba_ references I used in my salutatorian speech at my high school graduation ^.^ Afterwards, one of the teachers (who had been my mentor for my senior project on photography) came up to me and said, "Can I hug the riceball?" Then she hugged me and said, "You're the most beautiful riceball in the world." :'3 It made me wanna cry. There were a couple more allusions to _Fruits Basket_ in my speech, but I thought I'd just mention that one haha /random.**

**So, thoughts? Comments? Let me know! ^.^**


	17. Not The Same

**Okay, shorter chapter, but THIS one was on purpose, 'cause I know the next one is longer, ha.**

**So my friend said she's gonna cosplay for Halloween (I know -it's still kinda early, but yeah), and that got me thinking, so now it looks like I'm gonna cosplay too! ^.^ Choices right now are Matt or L (Death Note), or my OC Kiku from "Ordinary Day" (not the Kiku from this story, though I guess I could do that too haha). If I cosplay as Kiku (which is basically going as myself xD), I'd get to make a wooden katana! :D So right now it's all hinging on prices for things. What do you readers think? Just thought I'd throw that out there ^.^**

**Mommiya: Don't worry! It's okay! NOOOO! You stole Tamaki's commoner's coffee! *wails* What will he do nooowwwwww? XD Ah, you crack me up.**

**Kimmytrainer: Thanks so much! Ha, riceball friends. Awesome ^.^**

**Again, sorry the chapter's so short! I will try to update again soon!**

**Until then, please enjoy Mommiya's antics and this next chapter! Ironically, the title is a Hawk Nelson song. Great song. Check it out if you should feel the urge. Heck, just look up Hawk Nelson. They're one of the greatest bands on the planet, bar none.**

**A'ight, done with the ramble. Movin' on to the story.**

**-XVII. Not The Same-**

We went to school the next morning, just like we did every morning. But it felt weird for Miki and I to not be walking in with Yuki and Kyo.

I was walking down the hall to my locker when I saw Kyo putting his running shoes in his locker.

We both gasped a little when we saw each other.

"Hi," I said. "Good morning."

He sighed, looking away. "Uh, yeah, hi." Then he walked away.

I exhaled sadly.

**3_3_3_3_3**

Miki ran into Yuki on the way to her locker.

They gasped a little, too.

"Miss Miyamoto," he said, smiling. "Good morning."

"And a good morning to you," she replied with a smile.

Kiku walked up then, looking sadly at the floor.

Miki didn't ask, and neither did Yuki.

"Good morning, Miss Oshiro."

**1_1_1_1_1**

I looked up, surprised to hear my name. "Oh, good morning, Yuki," I said, managing a smile.

"So how is life at Grandfather's house?" he asked.

"Oh, fine, I guess," I said, fibbing a little. "Everyone's been really nice to us so far. They're making us feel right at home!" Okay, fibbing a lot.

"That's good," Yuki said. "Sounds like you're fitting right in."

"Yep!" I said.

"Why did you lie?" Miki hissed as we went to class.

"I don't want him to worry! Any of them!" I whispered back.

"And why did you look so sad when you walked up?"

I looked at the ground again. "It's nothing. Really. Forget it."

The four of us sat down in our seats, but I felt none of the feelings I had before, where I would usually get up and talk to them. No, we stayed in our seats as if we had never seen each other before that day. As if we had never lived in the same house and eaten all our meals together...

So, I guess that's it then, I thought as class started. From now on, I guess we shouldn't expect things to be the same between us and Yuki and Kyo.

**3_3_3_3_3**

Kyo was the first into the house that afternoon. He was panting, as if he'd been running.

"Ah, welcome home!" Shigure said.

Kyo went right past him up to his room.

"'Hi, Shigure. It's good to be home'," Shigure said to himself. "Is that too much to ask?"

Kyo changed out of his uniform and went to the roof again, memories playing before his eyes.

_"Okay, fine. Maybe if I meet somebody with brain damage...or something..."_

_"I've always liked the Cat from the Zodiac!"_

_"Right Straight!"_

_"C'mon, Orange-top!"_

_"What did you just say?" "Let it go..."_

_"How much do you weigh, twenty pounds?" "Ninety, thank you very much!" "Wow." "Shut up!"_

He would never admit it to anyone else (and hardly even to himself), but he missed them. Missed her.

**;;;;;**

Yuki sat on a stump next to his garden, a strawberry plant in a pot sitting on the ground next to him.

_"Really? I can't wait! I love strawberries!"_

He looked down at them sadly.

_"You can erase our memories." "But afterwards, promise you'll still be our friend?"_

_"Though I'm sure you're brave enough to go up there and talk to him, Kiku."_

_"Sounds like you really don't like cats."_

_"And you call the woods unsafe?"_

_"So this is...normal?"_

He missed them. (Maybe one of them a little bit more than the other two.) But he wouldn't give Kyo that opportunity to razz him about it. Even though he had suspicions that Kyo felt the same way.

Yuki stood and headed back to the house. He had a plan in mind.

**Eh, it's so short... _Sumimasen!_ T.T I will update again soon!**

**And for those of you who are wondering if the OCs will start acting differently than Tohru in this story... The next chapter should answer your question.**

** _Ja mata!_**


	18. Speak Up

**AHH! A new reviewer! :D Thanks to LuvKillz! (By the way, I love your idea about the cat ears hahaha! That's genius!)**

**Mommiya: Of course I forgive you! hahaha Poor Tamaki! You've traumatized him! xD Zomg a fairy! Is it a coffee fairy? xD Yeah, unfortunately, Tamaki's quite the oblivious young man hahahaha ^.^ Of course your antics are crazy! If they were sane, they wouldn't be nearly as interesting XD**

**And to all you other readers and reviewers, thank you! :D**

**When I watched this part of the episode, I was stunned at how Tohru took it. I started ranting about what I would've done if my own family said something like that to me. So that's how this part started, heh.**

**Hope you all like it! And if anyone happens to run by a grocery store, get Tamaki some commoners' coffee xD**

**Happy reading ^.^**

**-XVIII. Speak Up-**

Miki and Sachiko went upstairs, but I went into the kitchen to tell everyone that we were back.

"We're back for the day," I said.

My aunt was standing next to the dining room table, with a piece of paper in her hand; one of my cousins was leaning on the counter in the kitchen; and the other was sitting at the table, more papers in front of him.

"Kiku, could you spare a moment?" she asked before I could leave, or ask what was going on.

"Sure," I said.

"It's my understanding that you three have been living in a house with three men. Is that right?"

My cousin did a double take. "No way!" she said. "You were shacked up? Nice going," she chuckled.

What were they trying to say?

"I had a detective agency do some checking up on you," my aunt said.

"Yeah, no kidding! So those things still exist nowadays?"

"I don't understand," I said. "Why would you do that?"

"On account of my oldest son," she said. "It's his dream to become a policeman. So you can see how it might cause a problem were anyone in his family to have a criminal record."

My other cousin seemed very smug.

"At first, I did think hiring a detective agency seemed a bit extreme. Until I remembered how wild Kyoko was in her youth. Like mother, like daughter, they say. Or so I feared. And who knows how much she influenced the parents of those friends of yours. Or how much you influence them."

I felt my face getting hot. Not from embarrassment. No, this was something I hadn't felt in a long time: anger. I might've gone so far as to call it pure, unadulterated rage. Maybe.

"Now," she continued, "as long as you three are living in this house, I have to ask you not to do anything so reckless in the future."

I couldn't speak. I was so angry, I was trembling. I clenched my hands into fists at my sides, where they shook almost violently. How were they not noticing this reaction? Don't ask me. They must've been so self-absorbed that they couldn't see past their own noses, which were, at that moment, stuck up in the air.

My cousin stood from the table. He was still smirking. "Tell us, Kiku. Living in a house with three guys? I'll bet you girls had all sorts of fun, didn't you?"

That was it.

"What is wrong with you?"

They looked utterly shocked that I had just yelled. Me, little, quiet, peaceful Kiku. But I didn't care.

"We're family! Families are supposed to love each other and care for each other! Not hire detectives to do some 'checking up' on each other! And they're not supposed to make assumptions about things they have no idea about! What my friends do is none of your business! How could you ever assume something like that?

"And Mom changed! She was reckless when she was young, and she regretted it! She told me that almost every day! She wanted me to have a better life! She wanted me to have the life she never got to have!"

Tears were streaming from my eyes now.

"Don't you dare talk about her like you know who she was! You have no idea who she was! You don't know who I am either! Or Miki! Or Saki! And you have no idea how we came to live in that house or what we did, and no detective can find it out for you! So...so..."

I took a cue from Kyo.

"Just shut up!"

I heard a slap. I opened my eyes and blinked a few times.

My cousin and my aunt gasped.

"Grandpa, what did you-?"

My other cousin blinked, a red mark on his cheek and Grandpa's hand near his face.

"Don't you know how to do anything besides ridicule others?" Grandpa turned to me. "Kiku, I apologize. Please don't think poorly of them. They're just disagreeable folks by nature."

I cracked a small smile, but left anyway as my relatives argued with him.

"Grandpa! What's gotten into you?"

"You can't say that!"

I stopped in the entryway, wiping tears from my eyes. I can't believe I told them to shut up, I thought. I've never meant anything like that when I've said it before. At least, not for a long time... What's gotten into me?

"Kiku?"

I turned to look at my grandfather.

"Please understand," he said, "this family is dear to me. And this is where I live. Even if they do say a few thoughtless things, I can tolerate it. However, there's no reason for you three to put up with it to keep living here. I can tell that you don't exactly get along..." he said, looking back at the kitchen door.

"Y-you want us to-"

"Ah, it's not like that," he cut in. "I'm not trying to chase you out of here. It's just that it wasn't like Kyoko to put up with anything, and you are her daughter. Do you understand? Kyoko would be more vivacious living in a place where she could spread her arms wide. Your father would have said so as well."

"My father?" I asked. "Really?"

He nodded, smiling. "So, if there's somewhere you'd rather be, Darling, you can go."

I smiled a little, but it fell quickly. "But...that wouldn't be right!"

He looked at me in surprise.

"How could I be anything less than grateful for what I have? I've been blessed with a mother who loved me, the two best friends in the whole world... What more could I possibly want when I have people in my life who care about me as much as they do? There are so many people who've been kind to us. Yuki and the others...and you!

"You've given us a place at your table, a roof over our heads... I should feel like the luckiest girl in the world. We have so much to be thankful for, right here."

More tears fell from my eyes.

"So...where else would we rather be...? Except...I didn't think that leaving Yuki and the others would make me -us- feel so...so lonely. There was still so much I hoped to learn about all of them. I wanted us to go on eating our meals together, like a family, where we could talk about so many things. Everything.

"The truth of it is...I didn't want to leave at all! None of us did."

I looked at my tears hitting the floor, and sniffled as I wiped more away with the sleeve of my uniform.

"We felt like we belonged there. I wanted us to stay in that house with Yuki, and Kyo, and Shigure... I wanted to stay."

I felt that I was going to start sobbing, and pressed my hands harder against my eyes, as if I could force the tears back into my body that easily. Just by sheer will.

"In that case..."

I gapsed and opened my eyes.

"...why not come home?"

I looked at the familiar face before me. I looked at the familiar smile. My first thought was that I was seeing things. But...no... He was really there.

"Yuki?" I could only gasp and stare at him. (The only other thing I could think of doing was hugging him, and, well, I certainly couldn't do that.) What was he doing here?

"Who is this?" my aunt asked.

Suddenly, a hand came from behind me and grabbed my head.

I gasped. Then I recognized the sleeve on the arm.

"C'mon. Let's go."

"Kyo?" I asked. I resisted the urge to turn and hug him, too. "You're here too? But then..."

He started pulling me away.

"Uh... No wait, Kyo, I... Ehh..."

**3_3_3_3_3**

Yuki turned to Kiku's family.

Her grandfather smiled, but the rest of them still looked hopelessly confused. Sort of like that stupid cat, Yuki thought with a smile (though on the inside he was smirking).

"I hope you don't mind," Yuki said. "The door was unlocked, so we let ourselves in. Can I find Miss Miyamoto, Miss Fujioka, and Miss Oshiro's things upstairs?"

"Now just a moment," her aunt said. "Who are you? What's going on here?"

"Don't worry," Yuki said, smiling politely. "We'll be out of your way before you know it."

"Ahh, I get it now," her cousin said. "These must be two of the guys the little tramps were shackin' up with."

Yuki's smile fell, and he stalked over to him. "Don't you _ever_ speak about them that way again...you low-life."

Then he turned and went up the stairs, the three of their jaws hanging open, and Kiku's grandfather smiling after him.

**;;;;;**

"Miss Miyamoto? Miss Fujioka?"

They both jumped up and ran into the hallway.

"Yuki?" Miki asked, smiling widely. "What are you doing here?"

He smiled at them. "Pack your things. We're going home," he said.

The two of them smiled at each other, then ran to get their things.

"Where's Miss Ohshiro's room?" he asked.

They looked at him.

"Where is she?" Sachiko asked.

"Don't worry," Yuki said. "She's in good hands."

They looked at each other.

"Orange-top," Miki said.

Yuki laughed softly. "Yes."

I don't really know if you could refer to him as "capable hands," Yuki thought. Though, maybe where Miss Oshiro is concerned, I'm mistaken.

**1_1_1_1_1**

"Uh...um...wait... Kyo, how did you get here?" I asked, Kyo still tugging on my head.

He released his grip and turned to face me. "What do you mean 'how'? You left the directions!"

Oh, right, I thought.

"And what kind of a stupid map what that anyway? I got stuck walking around half this city looking for you with that damn Yuki!"

"Uh...looking for...me?"

His face flushed a little and he turned away. "Yeah, you know, th-the three of you."

I smiled a little. I could see it now.

_"I told you we're going the wrong way! Now gimme that map!"_

_"Uh-uh..."_

They must've been fighting the whole time, I thought, and they still came to find us.

Kyo started and looked at me. "What the hell are you smiling about?"

"Oh, uh, I'm sorry..." I said, my smile fading.

He blinked a couple times, then looked up at the sky, which was turning from blue to orange and pink. "Uh... That's not what I meant to say. I, uh..."

Here we go at trying to apologize again, I thought.

He turned away. "What I mean is... I just...you know, I-" He grunted. "I don't even know why I'm doing this!"

I looked at him curiously.

"It's just, for some reason, ever since you- I mean, you three left, I've been getting pissed off about everything! And I couldn't figure out why," he said, running his hand through his hair, "so it just pissed me off even more."

Now I felt surprised.

He turned back to me. "And, really! If you didn't want to leave, you could've said so from the beginning! You ever think about that?"

"Wha- but how did you-?"

"We heard you," he said. "Every word."

I looked down, my face getting hot and I sighed.

"I heard you yelling at them, too."

I looked at him.

He cracked a small smile. "So unlike you," he said. "I'm impressed."

I shrugged, still beating myself up about it.

"Y'know... You can tell people what you want. I know Miki and Sachiko have a habit of speaking their minds, but you usually don't. I mean, it's annoying if someone says what they want all the time, but I'd say in your case, you could stand to speak up for yourself a little more. Complain a little, get upset or something. Let people know what's on your mind."

I knew he was thinking of what I'd yelled at my family. A soft breeze blew past us as I thought of it as well.

"It's what you gotta do sometimes."

We were silent for a moment.

"If you're angry, yell at someone, tell them, hit something. Hell, hit me! Now that you know how to throw a decent punch and all, I mean. You need to stand up for yourself, and what you know is true and right, no matter what. And fight for the things you love, because... Because someday you may turn around and realize...that they're gone."

I looked at him for a moment, wondering if there was some knowledge he possessed of this statement being true. I stared crying again.

"Oh, come on! What did I say? Why are you crying?" he asked, panicking.

"Can we go?"

He looked at me.

"Please, I... I want to... I want to go home. Take me back to the house now, okay?"

**3_3_3_3_3**

Kyo looked over her shoulder, at Yuki, Miki, and Sachiko. They were all looking at him expectantly, though Miki's look was a little more threatening than the others. He thought he even saw a small smile on Yuki's face.

He'd also heard what Kiku's aunt had accused her of. He was surprised that she had defended him, Yuki, and Shigure like that. He was surprised that she had yelled like that.

Kiku surprised him a lot.

He was surprised that her relatives had even assumed that. That kind of thing usually only ran through Shigure's mind, and he usually just did it to annoy him and Yuki.

It's not like any of us in the house are, you know, he thought, together or anything. I mean, yeah, the possibilities are there, but the opportunities...not so much. Especially since we're cursed and all.

And especially not for someone...like me.

**3_3_3_3_3**

"So walk, already," Kyo said after a moment. He took my hand in his. "I'm not gonna drag you the whole way there."

I looked up at him as he tugged me along, surprised. Then I smiled sadly through my tears.

_"Rice ball!"_

I'd been called. I could play now. I belonged.

Yuki, Miki, and Sachiko caught up with us. Miki took Yuki's hand, Sachiko took one of each of their hands, and I held onto Kyo's. Kyo pretended like he wasn't holding two girls' hands, and Yuki just smiled at us. We three smiled back widely.

It's true, I thought as we neared the house. We must be the luckiest girls in the world.

Shigure stood outside the front door, waiting for us. "Good work, gentlemen!" he said, giving Kyo and Yuki a thumbs-up. "I see Operation: Kidnap the Princesses was a success!"

"You make it sound like we did something wrong," Kyo said annoyedly.

"You could at least call it a rescue," Yuki said as he took his jacket off.

"Um...we're back," Sachiko said.

"We hope that's not a problem," I said, my voice surprisingly small.

"Of course not!" Shigure said happily. "Just leave everything to me."

"Like you're going to do anything..." Yuki mumbled.

"But we can't cause you any more problems," Miki said.

"Don't worry so much, girls," Shigure said. "Just make sure you don't run away again."

Run away? I wondered.

Shigure glanced at Yuki and Kyo. "You should've seen these two. They practically killed me to get your address! It's nice to see that their efforts were rewarded. Ahhh... I've never seen Yuki so flustered! As opposed to Kyo, who's always flustered..."

Kyo _is_ a pretty flustered person, I thought. Then again, I have no room to talk.

Yuki spun to face Shigure, his cheeks, indeed, flushing red. "I wasn't that...flustered!"

"Liar," Kyo muttered. "Moping around like a sad rat who'd lost his cheese..."

I stifled my laughter. Did that make Miki the "cheese"?

"_You_ were the one who was moping," Yuki said, swinging to punch Kyo in the chin.

"You damn rat!" Kyo yelled, regaining his footing.

Shigure ran his hand through his hair, a small, amused smile on his face. "It's not much of a home," he said, "but, if you'll take it, girls, it's yours."

We looked at him and smiled. "Yes!"

Yuki and Kyo had now taken fighting stances.

"You're going down, damn rat!" Kyo yelled.

"Oh, it's _on_ now," Yuki replied, glaring at Kyo.

I think we're where we belong, I thought, smiling (even though Yuki and Kyo were about to go at it...again). Here. In this house. With our new family.

A little later, I went upstairs flopped down on my bed. I laughed out of pure joy and thought, It's so good to be home!

**3_3_3_3_3**

Kyo stopped outside Kiku's door for a moment, listening to her laugh.

For some reason, he thought, whenever you laugh, it makes me want to laugh, too. Even if I don't know what you're laughing about... Even if you're just smiling, I feel the same way.

So what does it mean? he wondered as he went up to the roof. What does it mean?

**3_3_3_3_3**

That night, we decided to do something that we hadn't done since the accident.

Sachiko pulled out her precious guitar, Esperanza (Spanish for "hope"), Miki pulled out her keyboard, and we sat in a circle on my bedroom floor.

For the first time since the accident, we made music together. For the first time since my mom died...I sang.

_"I was consumed by a life that I made_

_Destined to crash_

_Beat up and bruised by the flashbacks_

_Of my own past_

_I tried to hide away_

_Till I heard you say_

_Lovely traces fall behind you_

_Turn around, and you will see_

_Lovely traces to remind you_

_Everything that you've been through_

_What it took to get you to me..."_

**3_3_3_3_3**

Kyo heard music from his place up on the roof. He sat up, his cat-like hearing on full strength.

Yuki heard it, too.

_"...All my mistakes, regrettable choices_

_I'd like to forget_

_But somehow you made all that I wasted_

_Useful again_

_I thought I fell from grace_

_But you can't erase_

_The lovely traces behind you_

_Turn around and you will see_

_Lovely traces to remind you_

_Everything that you've been through_

_What it took to get you to me_

_Lost my direction_

_'Cause I couldn't see_

_What a beautiful picture_

_You would complete_

_In me_

_All the lovely traces behind you_

_Turn around and you will see_

_Lovely traces to remind you_

_Everything that you've been through_

_What it took to get you to me..."_

Even after they stopped singing, stopped playing, the words hung around Kyo and Yuki. Though the two of them would never admit it to each other, they were both thinking the same thing: Maybe these girls -or at least one of these girls can be the one to understand everything I've been through.

The one to pull me back from the edge.

The one to turn everything around.

But then they both thought they should disregard the idea -to label it as merely wishful thinking.

**;;;;;**

Yuki and Miki met in the hallway before bed that evening.

"Going to bed, Miss Miyamoto?" Yuki asked with a smile.

Miki managed a smile back amid all her blushing, and said, "Yes. Long day."

Yuki laughed softly. "Yes, I imagine you must be very tired."

They were silent for a few moments.

"Miss Miyamoto?"

"Yes?" she asked.

He smiled. "I...heard you girls playing. In Miss Oshiro's room earlier."

Miki's back stiffened a little. "Oh?"

"Yes," he said, still smiling. "And I wanted to tell you that you all sound wonderful."

She blushed and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Thanks."

"I am positive that I speak for the entire house when I say that we would be delighted to be entertained with your music," he said.

She blushed even more.

"Were you playing the keyboard?"

She could only nod.

He smiled and laughed softly. "Goodnight, Miss Miyamoto."

"Goodnight, Yuki," she remembered to reply before he shut his bedroom door.

She put a hand to her forehead and exhaled heavily. Why's he gotta do that? she wondered. He's gonna make my heart burst one of these days!

**1_1_1_1_1**

I happened to bump into Kyo in the hall that night when he was coming down from the roof. (I didn't literally run into him, I mean. If that had been the case, he would've transformed.)

We looked at each other in silence for a few moments (I myself thinking of everything he'd told me earlier), then I continued on towards my room.

"Hey."

I stopped just after I'd passed him.

"I...I mean..." He sighed. "I heard you singing."

I blushed, grateful that he couldn't see it.

"I just...wanted to let you know that...you're really good. I liked the song, too. I just...wanted to tell you that. And...I'm glad you're back- I mean, that all of you are back."

And without another word, he went into his room and closed the door.

I turned and looked at his door, wondering what had possessed him to tell me that. Interesting, I thought.

But I smiled in spite of my wondering. Kyo was getting better about expressing feelings other than anger.

Maybe, I thought, I can learn to express more of my feelings right along with him.

**The song the girls sang is the song I got this story title from. "Lovely Traces" by Krystal Meyers. She's an amazing singer-songwriter, and you should check her out if you get the chance. Anyway, I don't own that song -she does haha :)**

**More coming soon! Let me know what you think! ^.^**


	19. Visitors

**Mommiya: I DIED. I'm not kidding XD Excellent Plan B! XDDD Poor Tamaki hahahaha We'll have to drug him into a comatose state (a.k.a. We'll hit him over the head with a hammer) and give him commoners' coffee intravenously. Perhaps then he'll be somewhat lucid. xD**

**EmiShae: No worries! And yes, you gave me a much needed idea so thank you again! :D Thanks so much for your reviews! I love them! ^.^ "Tender Princess"? Oy vey xD OOH yeah I've heard of that! And I want to watch it (mainly because Vic Mignogna's in it, like you said haha)! The other one he's in is Fullmetal Alchemist. My little brother likes it, and I'm gonna start watching it soon haha Thanks so much! :D**

**A'ight, so, as you know, one of the main characters has already been deleted (*cough* Tohru *cough*), but two others haven't! Their parts have just been reduced haha**

**Anywhoo, enjoy the chapter! :)**

**-XIX. Visitors-**

Now you may think that Yuki and Kyo and Shigure were the only new friends we'd made since living at the Sohma house. But you'd be thinking wrong.

Their names were Saki (ironic, isn't it?) Hanajima and Arisa Uotani. We called them Hana and Uo.

Hana was interesting. She had electrical powers. She could "sense" people's waves, and some said she could even read minds.

Uo had once been in a gang, so she was really tough, sort of like Miki.

They could both seem scary at times, but they really did care about us.

"We were wondering, Shigure," I said one morning before school, "as long as we're going to be living here, if it would be alright to tell two of our friends where we are?"

He looked up from his paper.

"I mean, if that's okay..."

"They're very trustworthy," Sachiko said. "We met them over a year ago."

"We think they're starting to worry about us," Miki said.

Shigure smiled. "So long as you don't mention anything about, you know, the Zodiac and whatnot, I don't particularly mind."

We smiled.

"Thank you so much!" Miki said.

Kyo and Yuki walked in then, wondering what was going on.

Just to remind you of what Shigure meant, in case you don't remember, the Sohma family had been living under a secret curse for generations. If they were hugged by someone from the opposite sex, they transformed into one of the animals of the Chinese Zodiac! Including Kyo, the Cat. It's hard to believe, but it's true!

Naturally this was a secret they couldn't allow anyone to find out about. My two best friends, Miki and Sachiko, and I had found out by accident.

"You remember Hana and Uo," I said.

"They watched us play Rich Man-Poor Man that day at school," Miki said.

"Ah, yes," Yuki said. "Miss Hanajima and Miss Uotani?"

"That's them!" Miki said.

Kyo sighed. "Not those two..."

Miki grabbed Kyo's arm and wrenched it around his back. "You gonna talk that way about our friends, Orange-top?"

Sachiko and I sighed. "Miki..."

**;;;;;**

We told Hana and Uo that day at lunch. Uo didn't exactly...take the news well.

"What? !" she screeched. "So not only were you living in a tent, but now you're living in Prince Yuki's house? ! Seriously, you guys? !"

"Yes," I said. "We're sorry for not saying anything about it sooner."

"There was a lot of stuff going on," Sachiko said (who had sneaked over during her lunch break to see us), "but everything's fine now."

"They're all really nice people," Miki said.

I elbowed her before she could make a comment about Kyo.

"So there's nothing to worry about," Sachiko said.

They looked at us in silence for a moment.

"This is definitely a bolt out of the blue," Hana said. "I wonder... How will the Prince Yuki fan club girls react when they hear the news?"

"Well, we weren't exactly planning on telling them," I said.

"And if they ever find out, I'll knock their blocks off," Miki said, punching her open palm.

"I thought it was strange how you all have been spending so much time with the Prince and Orange-top," Uo mused. She had picked up on Miki's nickname for Kyo, as you can see. "Now I understand."

Hana crushed the chip bag she'd been eating out of in her hands. The noise scared a few birds in the tree above us, and they jumped up and fluttered away. "Perhaps," she said, "we should have them invite us over."

"Uh..." we said quietly, looking at each other.

I don't think that's the best idea, I thought. But then again...

"I'd like to see for myself whether or not this is a suitable environment for you three to be living."

"Hey, great idea," Uo agreed. "Let's check it out right now."

"Wait," Hana said, "if we show up unexpectedly, they may not serve snacks."

"Ooh, good point. You're two for two. Okay then," Uo said, turning to us. "We'll stay over tomorrow night."

I'm sure we all had expressions on our faces that read, "Oh, boy."

"Uh...okay!" we said after a few moments.

**;;;;;**

The next day, the three of us hurried to make sure the house was clean and ready for when Hana and Uo came over.

Shigure even helped, cleaning off the table and singing to himself. "High school girls! High school girls! 1, 2, 3, high school girls! Ahh... I can't help but wonder what kind of girls these friends are," he said.

"A Yankee and a psychic."

Kyo's comment froze Shigure in mid-scrub.

Yuki sighed and shook his head.

**3_3_3_3_3**

The doorbell rang, and all the girls jumped up to get it. It was Hana and Uo.

"Hi! You're here!"

"Did you find the house okay?"

"No, we got lost."

"I'm thinking that this was a bad idea," Kyo said, glancing at Yuki.

"Just don't do anything stupid," Yuki replied.

Kyo growled. "That goes double for you, you damn rat."

"Yes..." Shigure said, suddenly serious. "All of us would do well to be careful while they're here. Because I wonder, if either of these girls were to find out about the curse, what would happen...do you think?"

He looked at Yuki and Kyo. "At the very least, I'd think that the girls wouldn't be allowed to stay here anymore."

Yuki and Kyo were sombered by this thought.

"Well, either way...something's bound to turn out!" Shigure said with a smile. "'Que sera sera' and all that." He chuckled.

"You just like hearing yourself talk, don't you?" Yuki asked.

**3_3_3_3_3**

"There's a dog," Hana said.

We all tensed up.

"Over...there?" she said, pointing to the open door.

A brown dog sat on the porch.

Kyo clutched his shirt in his fist as if he had just about had a heart attack.

Yuki put his hand to his forehead and sighed.

We breathed a sigh of relief.

She hadn't meant that she'd sensed that Shigure was a dog. She'd just seen an actual dog.

"Yes! That's a dog!" Shigure said nervously.

Miki ran over and closed the door, then we all sat down.

Miki, Sachiko, Uo, and Hana sat across from Yuki and Kyo and Shigure, and I sat at the end of the table.

"These are two of our friends, Arisa Uotani and Saki Hanajima," I introduced.

"Hey," Uo said.

"A pleasure," Hana said.

"Yes, welcome, welcome!" Shigure said. "Please make yourselves at home."

"Say, it's 'Shigure,' right? This is your place?" Uo asked. "So what do you do to pay the rent around here?"

I had wondered that myself, actually.

"Me?" Shigure asked, chuckling. "I'm a writer. Well, a novelist, actually."

"What?"

"Did you say a novelist?"

"Really? !"

"Why the heck are you three so surprised?" Uo asked.

"This is the first they've heard of it," Hana answered.

"Yeah, we had no idea," Miki said.

"What was it again," Yuki asked, sounding completely bored or like he just wanted to poke fun at Shigure (it was hard to tell with Yuki), "'fine literature,' or something?"

"Uh-huh," Shigure said. "That's right. This sort of story." He held up a book entitled _Summer-Colored Sigh_.

We all looked at him, wide-eyed.

"Hmm?" He looked at the book in his hand. "Oh, sorry." He held out another book. "This is my real work. This one is just something I did for fun."

"So it's still okay to write that dime-store smut? !" Uo cried.

"You're a sicko, you know that? !" Kyo shouted.

"What were you thinking?" Yuki asked, ashamed of his cousin.

"Shigure, that's amazing!"

We all looked at Sachiko in surprise.

"I mean, to think we actually know someone as important as a novelist!"

Yuki smiled a little. "Careful, Miss Fujioka. You don't want to inflate his ego too much."

"Like his head could get any bigger than it already is," Kyo muttered.

Shigure just laughed.

Well, we made another new discovery, I thought.

Uo and Hana looked at the three of us, probably wondering how on earth we were able to live in that house.

"Well enough about me," Shigure said. "Why don't you tell us something about yourselves? You could start by telling us how you two met Kiku and Sachiko and Miki."

"What, serious?" Uo asked.

"I'm sure we'd all like to hear! Right, Yuki? Right, Kyo?"

They both sighed.

"Uo saved me," I said.

They all looked at me.

"'Hey, pinhead! You better not step on those, you-!'"

Now they looked at me like I was insane.

"Wait, let me back up," I said. "This one time in middle school, I dropped all my notes in the hall..." I just stopped talking.

"What have I done?" Shigure asked quietly.

I laughed a little.

Uo chuckled. "Yeah, I remember that. I guess I could get a little...rough back then."

"Back then?" Yuki and Kyo asked, but she ignored them.

"But that was when you were still a Yankee, right?" Miki asked.

"Yeah," Uo said. "I started running with them...in the 5th grade, I think?"

"You used to wear those masks all the time," I said.

"And I had my eyebrows thinned and I wore those long skirts."

"You forget, Arisa," Hana said, "that you do all those things now, too."

"I guess you're right." Uo laughed.

"That's lovely. They're so- How shall I say it?" Shigure mused. "By putting it into words, I'm afraid the nobility of it all would only be obscured."

"Of what?" Yuki asked.

"You know, they're so spunky!" Shigure said.

"You sick bastard," Kyo said.

We laughed.

"How sad..."

We were astonished to see Hana reading Shigure's "for fun" work.

"Love doomed from the start."

"You're reading that?" Sachiko asked.

"That silly little thing?" Shigure asked, walking over to her. "Oh, I'm flattered! What do you think?"

"You don't want to know what I think," she replied darkly, turning her head slightly to look at him.

"Oh...no?" Shigure asked.

"But when is volume 2 coming out?"

Our jaws dropped.

"Look, can we just knock it off with the books? Okay?" Uo asked.

Seems like everyone's getting along pretty well, I thought. And we were worried... Silly us.

"Miki! Saki! I just thought of something fun we could do! Wait here, we'll be right back," I said. I grabbed the two of them and took them upstairs. "Help me find that deck of cards, okay?"

**3_3_3_3_3**

The remainder of the group watched them leave. The guys were all thinking something like, "Don't leave us alone with them!"

"So then, Saki, you never did tell us how you and the girls came to be friends," Shigure said, still standing behind her.

"Are you sure you're ready to hear?" Hana asked.

"Oh ah... That's okay, as long as you're friends now!" Shigure said quickly. "That's all that matters!"

"We were in middle school, and I was transferred into their class."

"Ah-h...is that so?"

"Yes," she said. "You see, at my previous school, I had caused...something of a disturbance..."

They looked at her fearfully.

"Well, that's a wonderful story, isn't it! But I just remembered I have some work to do, so if you kids will excuse me..." he said, running off down the hall to his room.

"He ran off," Yuki muttered.

"Ran the hell away," Kyo mumbled.

"I gotta say..."

They looked at Uo.

"I didn't know what to think when they told us, but it looks like they're fitting right in here. I'm happy for them. I guess I can understand why they didn't want to say anything at first. But still... I wish we'd been there to help. The fact that we weren't...after everything Kyoko did for me...helped to pull me out of all the crap I'd gotten myself into... That bothers me.

"I mean...to even think that they thought they had to go through all this by themselves... Maybe they don't think they can count on us. Or maybe we're just not that good as friends."

They were all silent for a moment.

"Nah," Kyo said. "They're just not really the kinda girls who worry about stuff like that. Even with all the differences in their personalities."

"They...they're the kind of people who put others' well-being before their own," Yuki said.

Hana and Uo looked at them, a little surprised.

**3_3_3_3_3**

"Sorry it took so long," I said as we came back down the stairs. "I hope you're ready to play!"

"Rich Man-Poor Man!" Sachiko sang.

"Ah, a fine idea," Hana said, smiling.

Yuki looked at Miki, and she smiled at him.

He smiled back.

I didn't know what they were thinking about, and I didn't ask.

"Let's pick it up where you guys left off," Uo said, grinning. "I've been itching to make a fool out of Orange-top here."

"Yeah, talk it up!" Kyo said. "But when you lose, you have to dye your hair black!"

"Oh?" Uo asked. "Well, when you lose, you have to bleach all the dye outta your hair and leave it white!"

"It's naturally this color!" he shot back.

"Is that right?" Hana asked.

"That's right!" Kyo said.

Well, we can't really tell them it's because he's a cat, I thought.

Miki handed the cards to Yuki. "Yuki, would you like to shuffle the deck?"

"Oh, I, uh..." He brushed his bangs out of his face and smiled at her. "Sure."

**;;;;;**

The game got pretty intense, I'll say that. But you won't believe what happened after.

"Why you rotten little-!" Uo yelled. "You and your cheap-ass tricks!"

"Cheap nothin'!" Kyo shot back. "That's fair game! You're the one playin' tricks, Yankee!"

"Next time you pull that crap, I'm gonna light you up!"

"Go ahead and try! It'll be the dumbest thing you ever did! I will take you out!" He stood and started to walk away.

"Oh yeah, some tough guy! You're running away!" Uo said, jumping up to block is path.

"Who's running?" Kyo retorted. "I'm going to the bathroom!"

"Aww," Uo said, moving in exact mirror to him so he couldn't get past. "Gotta take a leak? Better hurry. We wouldn't want you to piss yourself."

"Dammit! You got a foul mouth!" Kyo shouted.

"Look who's talking," Miki muttered.

Sachiko and I laughed softly.

Then Kyo tried something he shouldn't have -he made a move, and ran right into Uo.

Miki's, Sachiko's, Yuki's, and my eyes widened when we saw the familiar puff of orange smoke.

Oh, no! I screamed in my head.

Uo looked around, confused.

"Everything alright, Miss Uotani?" Yuki asked.

"Uh...yes...?" she replied hesitantly.

"Well, that's good," Yuki said, smiling. "It's just that things sounded like they were really heating up there for a minute."

I spotted Kyo wriggle out from under his clothes, and run out the doors. He dove under the porch before either Uo or Hana saw.

"I know," Miki said. "Until Orange-top gets back from the bathroom, let's play a quick game of Sevens!"

"Sure, let's play," Uo said, going to take her seat again. But she stepped on Kyo's sweatshirt, and started falling.

"Ah! Uo!" I jumped up to try to help her, but slipped myself.

Yuki jumped up then. "Miss Oshiro, look out!"

Unfortunately, I landed right on him, producing that cloud of pink smoke. I got to my hands and knees, and Yuki scrambled out to hide under the porch as well.

"Kiku!" Everyone rushed over.

"Are you alright?" Uo asked.

Miki and Sachiko were looking outside to make sure Uo and Hana couldn't see either Yuki or Kyo.

I looked down at Yuki's clothes on the floor. Oh, great, I thought, wanting to slap myself in the forehead.

"Are you hurt?" Hana asked.

"Nope! I'm fine! Just slipped! You know how clumsy I am! Oops!" I laughed nervously.

They looked at me like I was crazy, but at least they hadn't seen.

**3_3_3_3_3**

[_Under the porch_]

"Stupid cat."

"Damn rat!"


	20. Something Fishy

**Chapter 20 already! *teary eyes* hahaha Thanks to all you reviewers! :D All your comments and encouragement mean so much!**

**Mommiya (Even though I call you your name now...) : YOU KILL ME. I DEAD. xD You are hilarious! Can't wait to see what this looks like in story format! LOOK OUT OURAN! HERE COME THE OTAKUS! heehee ^.^ You're awesome, my friend! :D**

**LuvKillz: Thanks! Those lines always made me laugh, too. Though I had a heck of time writing Uo's lines there, just 'cause they made me so uncomfortable xD**

**EmiShae: What do III say? Thank you so much! Hey, back at'cha! You're pure awesomeness for leaving such great reviews! :D I just couldn't leave Hana and Uo out, I love them too much haha I KNOOOWW cliffhangerrr! But more is here, don't you worry! haha AH A good series with a second season? I'll definitely have to check it out! :D**

**Okayyy, let's get this show on the road! Enjoy Chapter _ni-juu_ ^.^**

**-XX. Something Fishy-**

"Ol' Orange-top sure is taking his time," Uo said.

"Sure is," Sachiko said.

"And the prince just up and disappeared. Guess he-"

"You're right," Hana cut in. "I wonder where our kind hosts have run off to."

I elbowed Miki before she could comment about how one of their "kind hosts" seemed the exact opposite.

"For the love of... We can't even start this game of Sevens, you know?" Uo said.

I looked behind her to see that an orange cat paw was reaching for Kyo's sweatshirt. Oh, boy, I thought.

Hana straightened up. "A cat..."

We sucked in a breath and held it, waiting to see what she would say.

"Oh!" Shigure said, blocking Kyo's paw from their view as he came in. "You're playing Sevens, right? That sounds like fun! Think you have room for one more?" He took Yuki's seat, and ignored the questioning looks he was getting from Hana and Uo.

"Well if it isn't the master novelist," Uo said. "You any good at this game?"

Shigure chuckled. "Well, you should know, in the old days, they used to call me 'The Sevens Bandit'."

"Really?" Miki, Sachiko, and I asked dryly.

"But enough about me! Let's get to playing, shall we? So what are the rules?"

We gasped when we saw a puff of orange smoke, and the cat paw change into a hand.

"What was that?" Uo asked.

"Uh, what was what?" Sachiko asked, smiling.

"I heard a..._boom_."

"There was a definite..._boom_," Hana said.

Not good! Not good! I thought. I think Kyo just changed back to normal! Hana and Uo can't see him! He's naked! I'll just throw him Yuki's clothes for now! Maybe no one will notice! It's better than nothing, right?

Shigure must've been thinking the same thing, because we both grabbed onto Yuki's shirt. When he went to throw, he took me with it. He looked up, as if thinking, "Why is this so heavy?"

Seeing that gravity is my worst enemy, of course I landed right on Shigure. There was a puff of blue smoke, and then... I was sitting there holding a black dog.

Hana and Uo stared at me like I had just sprouted a second head.

Miki's and Sachiko's eyes widened in surprise and fear.

I had to think fast. My first thought was to say, "Ta-da!" but I then I realized that might've sounded crazier than what had really happened. So I went for Plan B.

I hugged the dog, and he barked. "Oh, I'm so glad you're back! I thought we'd lost you, um...Spot!"

Shigure looked at me like, "Spot? !" He barked again, wagging his tail.

"That's odd," Hana said, looking at an empty bowl on the table. "It appears we've run out of snacks. I'll get some more. Where's the kitchen?"

"Oh, I'll get them," I said.

Just then, Kyo was coming back inside (after getting his clothes back).

Just my luck, I ran right into him. More orange smoke. I fell to my knees as Kyo fled the scene again.

Today is _not_ my day, I thought.

**3_3_3_3_3**

Oh, no! Shigure thought. Kyo just changed back, and the idiot's already transformed again! I've got to cause a diversion.

Shigure started barking and running around the room, standing on his hind legs, doing anything he could to distract Hana and Uo from the fact that Kyo had disappeared. Again.

Then there was a puff of pink smoke.

Oh no! Shigure thought. Now Yuki, too? !

Shigure scooped up Yuki's clothes in his mouth and tossed them outside.

**3_3_3_3_3**

"Huh, that's weird," Uo said. "I could've sworn I saw Orange-top in here."

Shigure jumped up on Uo's shoulder, barking.

"Ah!"

"Miss Fujioka," Yuki said, walking through the door, "I think Spot is telling us he's hungry, don't you?"

"Oh, yes!" Sachiko said, sounding relieved that Yuki was back to normal (and fully dressed). "Come here, boy. Let's go get some food."

"Saki..."

"Yes?" she asked, turning back to Hana.

Hana smiled. "Some more snacks? If you don't mind."

"I'll get them," I said, following Sachiko into the kitchen.

We closed the door and sighed heavily. At least one of them was back to human form.

"We're really sorry," Sachiko said to Shigure as he scarfed down food from a dish on the floor. "We promise, the last thing we wanted to happen was all of this."

"Hey, nuffin' to abologishe for," Shigure said, his mouth full.

"I'm not so sure," I said, leaning against the counter.

Shigure swallowed and looked at us. "Sachiko, Kiku, if these people are important to you three, then they're important to us, too. Do you understand?"

We looked at him for a moment, then smiled.

"Thank you," Sachiko said.

Miki walked in, closing the door behind her. "Everything okay?" she asked.

"Yep," I said.

"Phew," she exhaled. "I don't know how much more of this my heart can take."

"No kidding," we said together.

At the rate things were going, I had a feeling it was going to end with the three of us -not to mention Shigure, Yuki, and Kyo- being taken away in an ambulance after we passed out from something like putting too much strain on our hearts. Yeah. Something like that.

**3_3_3_3_3**

"Come on..." Uo muttered.

"This game isn't going very well, now is it?" Hana asked.

"I...I'll go check on them," Yuki offered after a moment of silence.

Of course, right when Yuki opened the door was when Miki came back out with a tray of jelly buns.

They hit each other, and the jelly buns went flying, along with Yuki!

"Miss Miyamoto!" he cried.

"Oh, no, Yuki!"

"H-help!"

"But...you're mixed in with all the jelly buns!"

"I'm here, Miss Miyamoto!"

"Where?"

"Here!" He flailed madly, trying to distinguish himself from the jelly buns.

"Let's see...jelly bun, jelly bun, jelly bun... Ah, there you are!" She reached out.

"No, wait, Miss Miyamoto, that's-"

She caught a jelly bun.

"-a jelly bun!"

"Hey, Miki, nice catch!" Uo said, chuckling.

"Yes, but most of them still fell," Hana said.

"Maybe I'm lucky she didn't catch me," Yuki said to himself, hiding under the pile of jelly buns. "She squeezed that bun so hard, all the filling came out!"

**;;;;;**

Shigure peeked into the washing machine, Yuki on his head. He sighed. "I thought we might at least find something to wear in here."

"So it's empty, then?" Yuki asked disappointedly.

"Well, the girls are very thorough about the laundry," Shigure said.

"Aw, hell with it!" Kyo said from his hiding place in the empty laundry basket. "Just let 'em see us! All we gotta do is erase those girls' memories, and everything'll be fine, right?"

"I suppose that's true," Shigure said, "as long as you're okay with that."

"Okay with what?" Kyo asked.

"It would mean Kiku's and Miki's and Sachiko's memories would have to be erased as well."

The three of them sat in silence as this information sank in.

Kyo growled. "Stay here! I'll go get us some clothes!"

He ran upstairs, being careful not to be noticed. He grabbed clothes, tied them around his neck, and ran back down the stairs. (Don't ask how he managed that while still in his cat form.)

Uo was just going out to the porch when Kyo ran by.

"Arisa. Watch out," Hana said.

"Huh?" Uo asked.

Shigure ran in, scooped Kyo up in his mouth, and carried the three of them out to the bushes.

**1_1_1_1_1**

"Yeah? Watch out for what?" Uo asked.

"An orange cat...with clothes tied around it's neck."

Kyo! I thought worriedly.

"In the mouth of a dog...that went...that way..." She pointed out to the bushes.

We all looked out to the bushes.

The guys were human again alright. But still very undressed, much to our chagrin.

"1, 2! 1, 2! 1, 2!" Shigure counted over and over, using a pair of jeans like a towel on his back.

Kyo stared at him incredulously.

"Nothing like a rub-down with a dry towel to get the circulation going!" And Shigure started his counting again.

"Idiot," Yuki muttered.

I slapped my hands over my eyes and hung my head, sighing. I've got a headache, I thought.

**;;;;;**

Nothing else happened that evening. Nothing like what had happened earlier, anyway. It had calmed down, and we'd managed to get through a few card games before eating dinner without anyone else transforming. Then the five of us went upstairs to Sachiko's room to talk (and to get out of hugging and tripping range of the guys) before bed.

"This is a fine bed," Hana said.

"Shigure bought us each one when we moved in," Sachiko said.

"He must think big of you three," Uo said.

My face got hot.

She laughed. "Nothing like that, Kiku. Just my opinion," she said, "but these rooms could use a little more, you know, girl stuff. Like maybe a dressing table or something like that."

"Oh, we couldn't!" I said. "We'd just be asking for it."

They looked at us.

"They've done so much for us already," Miki said. "We're already so lucky. It'd be rude to ask for more."

"We're just happy to have a place to stay," Sachiko said. "And that's all."

**3_3_3_3_3**

Hana and Uo remembered what Yuki and Kyo had said about them eariler, and realized that these boys knew these girls very well.

**3_3_3_3_3**

"I guess they _do_ understand them," Uo mused. "Pretty well, I'd say."

"Huh?" Miki asked.

"I agree," Hana said to Uo.

"What's going on here?" Sachiko asked.

They smiled at us.

"Never you girls mind," Uo said.

We looked at them, suspicion clear on our faces, but didn't ask. Because we knew Hana and Uo had our best intentions at heart.

Hana came and stayed in my room, Uo stayed in Sachiko's room, and Miki slept alone. She said she preferred it that way, anyway, seeing as she kicked and tossed and turned when she slept. When we were kids, she used to fall out of bed all the time.

But, moving on...

**;;;;;**

Miki and I woke up the next morning to make breakfast. Sachiko had voted to sleep in with Hana and Uo. Who could blame her, after the time we'd had the day before?

Kyo walked in and opened the fridge, drinking milk straight from the carton like he always did.

"How many times have I told you to use a glass?" Miki snapped.

"And how many times have I told you to stop acting like you're my mother?" he snapped back.

I thought I saw Kyo give me a sideways look, but I figured I had just been imagining that he'd been doing that since the day he and Yuki came and got us from my grandfather's house.

Kyo saw Yuki in the doorway, and they looked at each other. Kyo looked surprised. "Uh... Hey, Yuki, are you-?"

Kyo was cut off by Yuki's head slumping forward onto his shoulder.

"Ahhhh!" Kyo yelled, as if he were in pain.

Yuki groaned sleepily.

"I see you're having a hard time waking up, as usual," Miki said to Yuki.

"Yeah, yeah, just keep movin', will ya!" Kyo said.

Yuki stood, and plodded his way across the kitchen.

"Wow, Kyo," I said. "With as much as you want to beat Yuki, you still don't try to sneak up on him while he's like this. That's very admirable."

"No, that's not it. It's not like that," he said. "He's stronger when he's half-asleep."

"Ah, so you have tried to attack him, then?" I asked.

"Yeah, I tried!" he shouted. "And I got beat even worse than when he's awake, okay? ! Do you know what that means? ! It means that stupid, dirty, little sissy-boy rat is always holding back on me!"

Yuki jumped over and punched Kyo right across the face.

"What gives? ! I thought you were still out of it!"

"Your stupid voice woke me up," Yuki said, annoyed.

"Fine! I don't care anymore, dammit! Asleep or not, it's you and me, right now!"

"There they go again," I said.

"It's too early for this," Miki said.

"I'm gonna mop up this kitchen with your face!"

"How can you even talk about this nonsense so early in the morning?"

"See, Yuki agrees," Miki said.

I laughed softly.

"A cat and a mouse..."

We all froze at Hana's comment.

"That's what those two are like. They fight like a cat and a mouse," Hana said.

"Yeah, like the old cartoon. Something or other and Jerry," Uo agreed.

"So early..." Sachiko said, walking over to Miki and I.

**3_3_3_3_3**

That's right! Kyo thought. These guys are still here!

**3_3_3_3_3**

"So the two of you don't get along too well, do ya?" Uo asked.

"I suppose not," Yuki replied with a tired smile.

"Even so, this seems like a pleasant enough house," Hana said. "Which is good, because if it had been a poor environment for our friends to be living in, I would have had to do many things to correct it..."

Yuki and Kyo looked very afraid.

"Yes...many things..."

"What kind of 'many things'?" they asked.

"But I can see that the two of you both have fine electric signals," she said.

They looked at her, a little surprised.

"Oh, you didn't know? That's even better, I think."

"Well," Uo said as she and Hana hugged the three of us together, "I'm sure you'll do your best to be nice."

"To Kiku and Miki and Sachiko, we mean."

"Of course they will be," Miki said. "Or they'll have to answer to me."

The five of us laughed.

Kyo and Yuki just looked confused.

"We'll come by for another visit soon," Uo said.

"Yes, let's," Hana said. "I'm curious to learn more about the Sohma family's unique signals."

"Okay! Now how 'bout some breakfast?" Uo asked.

"Yes, breakfast."

"Hey, hey, hey!" Kyo shouted. "You gotta be kidding! Damn girls are taking over!"

"Girls took over when we moved in," Miki said, sticking her tongue out at Kyo.

"They mean well," I said. "They're both very good people. So...please?"

He looked at me for a moment, sighed, then ran his hand through his hair. "Fine. Whatever."

"After all, they are your friends, right?" Yuki asked.

We smiled. "Right!" we said together.


	21. More Like You

**_Sumimasen_! Times a million! I said I was gonna get better about this! T.T You wonderful readers deserve quicker updates. I'm so sorry. I just finished my first paper, and I'm not tired yet, so I thought I'd post this chapter before I went to bed. First, a couple quick replies.**

**(a.k.a. LuvKillz): xD I love how Yuki says that line. It's just like, "Kyo, you should know by now that anything you do is stupid. So of course I think your voice is stupid, and of course your stupidity woke me up." Seems like something he'd say xD Yeah, it _does_ seem kinda more of a Kyo line *shrugs* Guess Yuki needs some lines like that, too haha**

**EmiShae: I laughed SO hard the first time I watched that. I replayed it so many times XDD Poor Yuki with the jelly buns... Haha, glad you liked the title! I'm having a heck of a time picking some of 'em haha Thanks so much!**

**Mommiya: Don't worry about it! And you ARE awesome :3 WOOO The otakus' landing at Ouran! Can't wait! I sent you a message with the info for my character, but I wasn't sure exactly what you need, so just ask me anything that you need and I'll do my best to help ya out! ^.^ I read your Ouran fic! Really good so far! :D BAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA! XDDD Broadway-worthy indeed! rotflmho XD Holy freakin' banana muffins... I can see him saying that xDD Flirting with your mom? ! O.o Out of line, Tamaki! hahahaha! Don't kill him, _watashi no tomodachi_ (translation: my friend)! We need him for the...plan *shifty eyes* XD Hope to hear from you soon!**

**Okay...maybe that wasn't your definition of "quick," but be grateful I didn't go into a whole rant with Tamaki about why it's wrong to flirt with girls' mothers. It is wrong, you know. I mean, if you're that age. -.-'**

**xD Anyway, on with the story! Sorry if this chapter's a little short! More will come soon, I promise!**

**-XXI. More Like You-**

After all the drama of Hana and Uo's visit, it was time for a big celebration at school known as the Cultural Festival. What with getting ready for it, things were pretty hectic at school. Everyone was helping to get ready for the day of fun.

Of course, that went for my class too: 1st Year, D-Block. Our assignment: Refreshments. In other words, food.

"I'm pleased to announce," Yuki (duh) announced from his place at the front of the class, "that the health inspections have been completed and we've been given permission to open our rice ball stand. All that's left to decide is what flavor of rice balls we'd like to sell. Any suggestions you may have on the matter would be more than welcome."

Rice balls, I thought. Funny how some things keep turning up.

I raised my hand and stood. "What if we tried making three-flavor rice balls? We can use three different ingredients, and it'll be like getting three rice balls in one! It could be fun!"

Yuki smiled. "How nice. A fine idea."

I smiled back.

"Eww!" one of the fan club girls, Minami, cried. "I think you mean, 'How disgusting!' No way!"

"Like if you had salmon, and miso, and pickled plums all mixed together?" another fangirl (her name slipped my mind) said.

Minami made a disgusted sound. "That'd be the sickest thing in the world."

Miki jumped up from her seat, and, seemingly from nowhere, produced a lead pipe, and smashed it down on Minami's desk, between the girls. "It couldn't be any more sickening then your crappy attitudes...could it?" she asked, leaning down between them.

"Don't they have rules against bringing lead pipes to school?" Minami asked nervously.

I got up and pulled her back to her seat.

"Let me at 'em! Let me at 'em!" she hissed.

I shook my head.

"I say we make it a rice ball battle," Kyo said.

Everyone turned to look at him.

"A battle?" a boy asked.

"One-on-one," Kyo continued, clenching his fist and grinning. "One round. No holds barred." He stood up, assuming a fighting stance. "And even if they get bloody noses, or pull each other's arms off, they have to fight for the prize- rice balls!"

Even I was looking at him wide-eyed.

"No way," everyone said.

"Hmm..." Yuki mused, ignoring Kyo like he always did. "What about...a 'Hit-or-Miss'?" he asked.

"Interesting," a girl at the front of the class (one of the class leaders, and certainly not a fangirl) said.

"We'll have a special offer," Yuki continued. "Anyone who buys three rice balls can choose a fourth for free. Only we'll have some 'misses' mixed in that we can make with some strange ingredient or something."

The class wholeheartedly agreed that it was a good idea.

Kyo looked around at the agreeing students from his place, standing half on his desk. "Oh, sure!" he yelled, pointing at Yuki. "So you're all just gonna follow whatever dumb idea he says? !"

"You can't call us followers for knowing a good idea when we hear it," a boy said.

"Yeah, your idea was too weird!" another said.

"How so? !" Kyo asked angrily.

"Who wants to get all bloody over a couple rice balls?"

Kyo sat back down in his seat with a thud.

"Aw, don't get mad, Kyo-Kyo," a boy said, ruffling his hair.

Kyo slapped his hands away. "Hey! Don't call me Kyo-Kyo!"

"What's wrong with that?"

I had to admit, if only in my head, the name was kind of cute. But, then again, it was a little _too_...cutsie.

I happened to glance at Yuki, and I had a feeling I knew what he was thinking, from what Miki had told me. About what he had said about admiring Kyo.

"I have a student council meeting to attend, so if you wouldn't mind handling the arrangements for building the stand?" Yuki asked the girl.

"Sure!" she said happily. "Just leave it to me!"

Yuki turned to walk away.

"Ah, hold on!" a boy called. "There was still something I needed to ask you."

"Yeah, right," another boy said, "me too, Yuki. I have a question about the stand."

"Yuki, I have a question!" a girl said.

I could feel Kyo's anger rising from across the room. I guess, living in the same house with him, my senses had become more familiar with it, like with Miki's. Or something like that.

Suddenly, I looked at Kyo to see that at least five cats were hanging from his shoulders and head.

"Ah, look!" a girl said.

Miki and I sucked in a breath.

Cats? I wondered. What the?

The cats mewed happily. Kyo looked ready to kill them.

"Whoa, how did they get in here?" a boy asked.

"And so many!" a girl said. "How cute!"

"Kyo?" I asked. "Oh, no..." I said quietly.

He yelled and jumped up out of his seat, the cats still hanging from him. "Damn it all!" he yelled as he ran out.

Yuki glared after him, then sighed.

I heard one girl comment that he was the complete opposite of Yuki, and it was hard to believe they were related.

Not once you get to know them, I thought.

"Kiku?"

I didn't reply to Miki as I ran out of the room. If I know Kyo, I thought, there's only one place he'd go.

**;;;;;**

This roof was just a little higher up than the one back home, so I voted to take the ladder. There was Kyo, laying on the roof, staring angrily at the sky, the cats laying all around him.

"I was right," I said.

He cried out in surprise, sat up, then looked at me.

"I had a feeling you'd be up here. Always look in the highest place, I guess."

"What is it with you? ! You always gotta sneak up on me like that? !" he asked angrily.

"You ever think that you never hear me coming because you're so lost in thought that you can't hear anything besides what's going on in your head?"

He started and looked at me.

I picked up the cat nearest me and smiled a little at him. "I know the feeling."

He sighed.

I smiled at the white cat in my hands. "Hello, Mister Cat! You're so cute!"

He mewed and rubbed his head against my cheek.

I laughed a little. "These cats really like you, huh?" I asked.

He sighed and looked away. "Yeah, yeah. Don't ask me why. They just show up on their own. Same with rats for Yuki and dogs for Shigure."

"I think that'd be fun!" I said.

"How the hell is it fun? !" he asked. "This one time, I was walking in the mountains with Kagura-"

I gave him a look.

"Don't say anything!"

"I didn't say anything," I said.

"You were thinking something!"

"Oh, so you read minds now?"

"_Anywaaayyy!_"

I nodded for him to continue.

"Kagura and I were walking in the mountains this one time, and we got surrounded by a whole pack of boars! I thought they were gonna eat us!"

I laughed.

"It is not funny!"

"I'm sorry," I said, calming my laughter.

Kyo sighed and looked away again. "Well?" he asked. "What did you want?"

"Nothing, really," I said, shaking my head and holding the cat closer. "I was just worried about you... That's all. You seemed really upset when you left." Since you swore and ran out, I thought.

He looked back at me.

"Don't you want to help out the festival preparations?" I asked.

He looked away again, then grunted. "What do they need me for? They've got Yuki, don't they?" he asked dryly. "I doubt anyone's gonna miss me."

I looked down at the ground as I let the cat go. He ran back over to Kyo.

"They're all too busy looking to him. That's the way it always is. Ever since we were kids. He's always been the smart one, and he knows how to get stuff done, and he's good with people. All that." He was completely faced away from me now.

"And everybody around him's always telling him how talented he is and stuff," he continued. "He doesn't even have to try and they all look up to him. Anyway..."

His tone wasn't exactly angry. I couldn't put my finger on it exactly, but I could tell he had a bit of anger mixed in there.

"It's just like with martial arts. I've been training way longer than he has, but he's still better than me."

**3_3_3_3_3**

Kyo could hear the adults' voices in his head as clearly as he had when he was little.

_"It's true, huh? The children of the Rat really are special, aren't they?"_ they had said. _"And compared to them, the children of the Cat are..."_

**3_3_3_3_3**

"It makes me sick!" His voice was low, disgusted. "I mean, what do I gotta do to be someone like that, you know?"

I placed it now. He was...frustrated. Exasperated.

"Why can't I be more like...like him?"

Kyo... I thought.

Yuki's words as Miki had told us ran through my head.

_"Kyo. He's shy when he first meets people, but after he gets to know them a little, he can open up and be himself. Because of what he is, Kyo can never be accepted into the Zodiac. But isn't it better than he can be accepted by normal people for who he is? That...is exactly what I've always wanted."_

So, I thought, Yuki wants to be like Kyo, and Kyo wishes he could be more like Yuki. So why is it, that even though they both secretly admire each other, it just pushes them farther apart?

I contemplated this as Miki, Sachiko, and I worked that night, scrubbing and sweeping.

Miki and Sachiko could tell something was on my mind, so I told them. They thought about it, too, but none of us could come up with an answer.

We changed and headed out of the building later that night.

"Thanks!" I called as we clocked out. "See you next time!"

I looked up at the moon as we walked home.

Why is it, I wondered, that people feel they have to be like somebody else? Why do they have to feel jealous? If they can see the admirable qualities in someone else, why can't they see the admirable qualities in themselves?

I know that I have trouble believing that I have them myself, but I strongly believe in being happy with who you are.

_"Complain a little, get upset or something. Let people know what's on your mind."_


	22. Pickled Plum

**T^T I am crying in my corner of woe as we speak. (It's getting kinda crowded with Tamaki _and_ I over here...) I have to be the WORST updater on the planet! I am so sorry, everyone! You've all been so good to me with your reviews, and this is no way to repay that wonderfulness T.T In an attempt to make up for this, I will be posting two chapters at once. Please forgive me! *throws self on ground at readers' feet***

**Now that that's over (not), onto my responses...**

**: HA! I know, right? Kyo must really love riceballs if he'd consider getting all bloodied-up for 'em! xD**

**EmiShae: *tackle-glomp* You are too sweet! :'D Please don't go blind! You'd still be incredibly awesome, but then you'd have to have the story read to you! :O xD Sherlock Holmes reference! WOO haha Thank you so much! I was hoping the characters would be starting to distinguish themselves from Tohru (and from each other) at this point... *sweatdrop* Thank you so much, wonderful reveiwer! ^.^**

**Okay, I'm going to do some more groveling at the beginning of the next chapter. So be prepared for that. This chapter is somewhat short, but I'm posting another one right after, so don't worry!**

**New character introductions in the next chapter! ^.^ Enjoy (and sorry for the lateness -.-')**

**-XXII. Pickled Plum-**

The next day, Miki and Sachiko had to work, so I spent the morning and a good part of the day making all different kinds of rice balls for the festival.

"What the hell is this? !" Kyo shouted as he came into the kitchen that morning. "You tryin' to turn this place into a rice ball shop?"

"Good morning to you, too," I said, molding another rice ball in my hands. "You're up early, aren't you?"

"No, this is when I always get up," he said.

Huh, I thought. Interesting.

Kyo picked up one of the rice balls.

"Kyo! That's a-"

He bit into it.

"-a leek rice ball."

He gagged, and ran to the sink, spitting it out. "Why would you even make this crap? !" he cried.

"We're doing a 'Hit or Miss' stand, remember? So that's one's a miss."

"Damn right, it is!"

"I can make something else for you, if you have any ideas," I said.

"I dunno," he said, standing back up. "Salmon or cod's okay, I guess. Ah, forget it. I'll just make some myself." He opened up the rice cooker. "Geez..."

Of course he likes fish, I thought, smiling a little. In some ways, he's very predictable. Of course, in most ways, he isn't.

He scooped out some rice and started molding it in his hands.

"Wow, Kyo," I said.

He blinked at me.

"You're really good at making rice balls."

He blinked at me again.

"I had no idea."

His face turned slightly red, and he looked away. "Well, when I was out training, I had to make all my own meals and stuff," he said, almost like he was proud of the fact. Or maybe (and this was hopeful thinking) trying to impress me? "I just make the plain kind, nothin' fancy."

"Even so," I said, "I'll bet it we found someone who had devoted their whole life to the art of rice-ball-making and asked them, they'd still say they admired how well you do it."

"Where the hell you gonna find somebody like that? !" He turned and started walking out of the kitchen. "I mean, c'mon! That's gotta be the dumbest thing I ever heard. 'Art of rice-ball-making'," he chuckled.

Doesn't change the fact that it's admirable, I thought.

I walked over to the kitchen door. He was sitting at the table, his back to me and his legs stretched out to his side.

Why can't he see that himself? I wondered.

I trailed my eyes from the back of his head to his back. That's it, I thought.

"Maybe the reason you don't see it is that it's stuck to your back," I thought aloud.

"Hmm?" Kyo turned and looked at me, chewing his rice ball.

"What I mean is, a person's admirable qualities," I said. "They're just like, say, a pickled plum on a rice ball. In other words, the person's the rice ball, and the plum's stuck to their back."

Kyo still looked confused.

I continued.

"So, all over the world, you could have rice balls made with all sorts of wonderful ingredients, all different flavors and shapes and colors. But since they'd be stuck in the middle of everyone's back, someone could have a plum and not even know it!

"They'd look at themselves and think, 'I'm so plain. Nothing but white rice.' Even though it isn't true. Because turn them around, and sure enough, there is it! There's the plum!"

I smiled at Kyo and knelt down near him. "So if someone is jealous of somebody else, well then...it's probably because it's easier to see the plum on someone else's back than it is on your own."

I looked at his back and smiled. "Yep, I can see it," I said. "I can see it very clearly, Kyo. You don't know it, but you have a great, big plum on your back. Yuki's admirable in his way, and you're admirable in yours."

He looked at me for a moment, as if actually considering what I was saying.

"Okay! Now that's definitely the dumbest thing I've ever heard!" he yelled.

My smile fell.

"And what's so great about a stinkin' plum, anyway? !"

"Oh, I'm sorry," I said, putting my hands on my knees and looking down at the ground.

I was suddenly, surprisingly, reminded of how, the last time someone had said something like that to me, I had knocked them flat on the ground. Weird thing to remember, but, yeah. And weird at how I wasn't even thinking of getting angry at Kyo right then.

"We can change it to salmon it you want..."

He grunted and turned away.

I heard a shrill whistling from the kitchen. "Oh, excuse me," I said. "I guess I left the kettle on the stove." I stood and turned to walk away.

"Hey."

I looked back at Kyo. I noticed that even the tips of his ears were tinted pink.

"You've got one, too. I mean...stuck to your back... There's a plum."

I blushed a little, and I looked at him, surprised.

"I-I can see it."

It never ceased to amaze me how much Kyo could surprise me.

"Y-you can see it?" I asked.

"Yeah, but it's really small, like a baby plum," he said, trying to cover up the fact that he'd paid me a compliment.

I smiled at him. "Baby plums are delicious!"

"No, it's way, way, tiny!"

You know, I thought, I suppose right now there could be people who are feeling jealous, but who don't realize the qualities they envy in other people are the very same ones they already have. When you think about it that way, it sort of makes you want to try harder -just a little bit harder- at being yourself.

As always, I told Miki and Sachiko what happened when they got home from work.

They both smiled. "Awww!"

We laughed and I covered my red face with my pillow.

"Don't 'Awww!'"

"Why?" Sachiko asked, trying to get the pillow away from me.

"'Cause it makes me-"

"Blush? !" she cried, tearing the pillow from my hands.

We shrieked and I took the pillow back, all of us laughing.

"At least you're getting along better than I am..."

We looked at Miki.

"What do you mean?" I asked. "And who said I'm trying to get anywhere with anyone?"

"I just mean...it seems like you and Orange-top are closer to each other than I am to Yuki..."

I exhaled. "You know how it is, Miki. You just have to wait and measure their personality before you can really begin to understand them."


	23. Festival Fiasco

**More-groveling time.**

***wails, flings self on ground* Please forgive me for not updating soonerrrrr! I fail at life! T^T**

***ahem* I'm fine...really... Here's a longer chapter to make up for my failness!**

**Let me know what'cha think!**

**-XXIII. Festival Fiasco-**

The day of the Cultural Festival was soon upon us, and I couldn't wait for the day to start!

Along with our school getting ready, the third-year middle school students were visiting the school, which meant we got to spend the whole day with Sachiko!

"Hey, what are you doing?" Kyo asked. "It's still crooked."

"No one's gonna notice something so small, Cat-Lover," a guy hanging the sign on the stand said.

"Yeah, you're just being finicky," another guy said.

"That's right, Cat-Lover," a third said. "It's only gotta last one day."

Kyo grunted and jumped up, waving his hammer at them. "What's the deal with all this 'Cat-Lover' crap? !" he demanded. "You trying to make fun of me or something?"

"Ah, we got you figured out. You talk tough, but, deep down, you're just a gentle guy who loves animals," a guy said mockingly.

"Awww..." they said together.

No, he talks tough and beats people up if they say anything to the contrary, I thought warningly.

"Hey! Knock it off, will ya! For the last time...!"

I guess it's a good thing they don't really have him figured out, I thought.

"Why is it every time he's around, I get a headache?" Sachiko wondered aloud.

"Well, at least this time he's trying to help, which, for him, is pretty rare," Yuki said.

"I don't know," I said. "You have your way, Yuki...and Kyo has his, that's all."

Yuki looked back to his clipboard, and I could practically hear him thinking, "Uh-huh. Sure."

I just smiled.

"Oh, Yu-ki!" two girls sang as they came in.

He looked up nervously at them.

They giggled.

"Hello," he said.

"Guess what?" the first girl said excitedly. "We have a surprise for you, Yuki. It's a present."

"All of us senior girls chipped in and bought it," the second girl added. "We thought it would be the greatest thing if you could wear it today!"

"Uh...wear?" he asked. He had to ask.

"Ta-da! A one-of-a-kind festival day costume, just for you, Yuki!"

Sachiko and I stifled our laughter, and Miki just looked horrified. Yuki didn't exactly look comfortable either.

Costume nothing. It was a dress. I guess being the most popular guy in school had it's drawbacks...like being asked to cross-dress.

;;;;;

The festival started, and our rice balls were selling like hot cakes! Sachiko came over to lend a hand with the throngs of students.

"We're on track for first in the food category!" the girl from the planning meeting cried happily.

"I think we have the delicious stuff Kiku, Miki, and Sachiko made to thank for that!" a guy said.

We all blushed.

"Oh, don't be silly," I said.

"I just love these cat-shaped ones," a girl said, holding one up.

"Thanks," Sachiko said. "But I don't think they're really what's attracting everyone to our booth, you know?"

We all looked over at Yuki, surrounded by students with cameras. Yes, he had agreed to wear the dre- I mean, costume. Guess that's just the kind of guy he was...or something.

"That's it! Stop! No more pictures!" Minami and her clones yelled. "Yuki doesn't like it! Yeah, that goes for you too, sister!"

"U-G-L-Y! Fangirls ain't got no alibis! They ugly!"

"Shut up!"

"Good point," a guy said as Miki walked back over, who looked rather disappointed at being shot down by the fangirls. "He's definitely an attraction."

"Mm-hmm," everyone said, nodding.

"I suppose we couldn't ask for better advertising, huh?"

They nodded again.

Yuki looked over at us, then looked away. That brief look was more than enough to tell us that he was not happy.

"Oh...I hope I haven't done anything to make Yuki mad at me..." Miki mused. "He looks upset."

"Ah, don't worry about it," Kyo said. He was sitting in the corner with a book in one hand, and a cat-shaped rice ball in the other. "My guess is, it's more embarrassment than he can stand, having to dress up like that. I mean, he's already got a big enough complex over that girly face of his," he laughed.

I walked over to Kyo as he was about to bite into the cat-shaped rice ball. "Kyo?" I said quietly.

He froze and looked up at me.

"While you're critizing Yuki's so-called 'girly face'-" I made air quotes there. "-why don't you think about whether or not eating that cat rice ball makes you a cannibal."

He looked at the rice ball, raised an eyebrow, then looked back at me.

I grinned.

He sighed, rolled his eyes, and ate the rice ball anyway.

"Yukiii!"

We all looked up to see a little blonde-haired boy run over to Yuki and jump up on his shoulders.

Yuki bent under the boy's weight, but then straightened up again.

"Yuki, you look like a girl!"

The little boy wore a red hat on his head, a pink shirt with a white collar, green shorts, and red shoes, and had small, round red earrings in his ears.

"What the hell?" Kyo muttered. "What is that little brat doin' here?"

"You know him?" I asked.

"Momiji."

We looked up to see another new face, this one a man. He looked like he was maybe Shigure's age. He was wearing a suit, the suit jacket folded over his arm. He had short black hair, his bangs completely hiding his left eye.

"You're not to go running off by yourself."

The boy on Yuki's shoulders looked apologetic, but was silent.

The man looked at Yuki and Kyo. "Yuki. Kyo. I see you're both looking well."

"Hatori!" Yuki said in surprise.

Their entrances did not go unnoticed by the other students.

"Who is that?"

"He's so cool!"

"Hi, there!" the boy said, taking off his hat. "I'm Momiji Sohma, and this guy here with me is Hatori Sohma. And, yeah, we're two of Yuki and Kyo's relatives!"

"How cool!" a girl cried.

"Is that right?" Sachiko asked Kyo.

"Yeah, that's right," Kyo muttered. "But nevermind Momiji, what's that bastard Hatori doing here?"

So, I thought, if they're related, I wonder if they're part of the Zodiac, too? Or maybe that's just me jumping to conclusions...

I was surprised to see Hatori pull out a stethescope and press it to Yuki's chest. "Alright...now take a deep breath," he said.

"Hatori's a doctor," Kyo said, answering our silent questions.

"So why is he here?" Miki asked, sounding slightly worried. She walked closer to Yuki.

"Couldn't we have found a better time for this?" Yuki muttered to Hatori.

"We did," he said. "We had an appointment. You should know you can't skip your monthly check-up."

"Check-up? Yuki, why would you need a check-up? Is something wrong?" Miki asked.

Yuki looked at her, seeming like he didn't want to worry her. "Sort of..." he said.

"Yuki's bronchial tubes are fairly sensitive," Hatori said. "He used to suffer from frequent asthma attacks when he was a child."

So did Miki, I thought, and Sachiko and I gave each other knowing looks.

"It's a condition he's gradually growing out of." He stood. "But we like to be sure."

He looked at Miki. "I'm assuming you're Miki Miyamoto?" Then he looked at Sachiko and I. "Sachiko Fujioka? Kiku Oshiro?"

"Yes," Miki said.

"Nice to meet you," I said.

"Indeed..." Hatori said. "I didn't expect you'd be such ordinary girls."

We stared at him in surprise.

"What?" I asked.

That was probably the worst thing anyone could ever say to any of us.

"Hatori!" Yuki said in shock. Yuki must've known. I couldn't think of any other reasons for him to say it like that. (Unless he didn't think we were ordinary either... Or one of us, at any rate.)

"Don't!" a girl suddenly shouted. "You can't climb on the stand!"

It was Momiji. He was sitting on the stand, eating a rice ball.

"What do you think you're doing, you little runt? !" Kyo shouted, trying to pull Momiji off the stand.

"Excuse us," Sachiko said. "I think they need our help."

3_3_3_3_3

Yuki didn't look at Hatori. "Why did you have to come here?" he asked angrily.

"You can save your complaints for Akito," Hatori said. "It was his idea. Of course, he originially planned to come himself."

Yuki's eyes widened as he looked at Hatori.

"He was running another one of his fevers, so I made him stay home. Doctor's orders."

Thank goodness, Yuki thought.

"As a result, he sent me here in his place. And since I was already looking after Momiji for the day, he, naturally, had to come with me."

"Is this what you call looking after him?" Yuki asked, looking at Kyo trying to pull a wailing Momiji off the stand.

"Just be grateful we came late, when there are fewer people here," Hatori said. "I know why you're tense. Don't be. I didn't come for those girls today." He gave Yuki a sideways look. "Whether or not I do in the future is still for Akito to decide."

Yuki started and turned to glare at Hatori, his expression reading, "Over my dead body."

;;;;;

Kyo finally got Momiji off the stand and dragged him back into a blocked-off storage area. He hit him on the head. "Now you stay here!" he ordered. "And sit still!"

"Waahhh!" Momiji wailed. "Somebody! Kyo hit me!"

3_3_3_3_3

I pulled back the curtain and Sachiko, Miki, and I peeked back to where Kyo had dragged Momiji.

"Is everything okay?" I asked.

Momiji suddenly stopped crying. He smiled widely at us. "Ah-h! You're Kiku! And you're Miki! And you're Sachiko! Right? Did I get it right?"

"Yep," we said together.

"Now me! Guess who I am!"

"You're Momiji," Sachiko said.

"Yay! You remembered! Let's be friends, okay?"

"Sure!" Miki said.

Seems a little...hyperactive, I thought.

"Hey, you three already know about the whole Zodiac thing, right? Right?" he asked.

"Uh...right," I said.

"That's great! I can hug you!" He lept for me, and my eyes widened.

Kyo grabbed his head. "Hold it right there, lover boy," he said.

"But they don't mind! Kiku doesn't mind! I can tranform in front of you guys, right?" he asked us.

"Do you even know where you are?" Kyo asked angrily.

So I guess he is a member of the Zodiac after all, I thought.

"Kyo!" Momiji said, still trying to break from his grip. "You're just trying to keep Kiku all to yourself because she's so cute!"

My eyes widened and I blushed.

Miki and Sachiko chuckled.

Kyo stared at Momiji incredulously.

"You probably hug her everyday!"

I actually wouldn't mind that, I thought as my face grew even hotter.

His face turned bright red and, in his state of angered embarrassment, released Momiji. "What? ! Hell no! Who would wanna do that?"

"Meee!" He actually ended up hugging Sachiko, but the outcome was still the same.

Some girl back in the classroom asked if anyone else had heard an explosion.

Oh, no, I thought.

Some students pulled back the curtains to see Sachiko on the floor with a yellow rabbit on her knees.

His black-tipped ears twitched, and he looked at the students with his beady red eyes.

"Hey, what's with the rabbit?"

"Where'd Momiji go?"

Kyo looked just as terrified as we three did.

Minami picked up Momiji's shirt. "Hold on, aren't these Momiji's clothes? They are!"

"No way!" a clone said. "That's weird! He's not running around here naked, is he? !"

"And what's with the rabbit? ! Where did it come from?"

"No kidding! This is weird!"

"Could it be any weirder than me?"

Everyone turned away from us and the rabbit (a.k.a. Momiji) to look at Yuki.

"It's freakish, a boy in a dress..."

Everyone (even the guys) rushed over to him.

"Don't even say that! You're the greatest!"

"Yeah! If you were a real girl, I'd be all over you! I mean...you know..."

Can you say "awkward turtle"?

We took that opportunity to escape, Sachiko carrying Momiji in her arms.

I saw a couple tears slip from Miki's eyes as we went up to the roof. "You okay?" I asked.

"Yuki embarrassed himself to divert everyone's attention..."

I put an arm around her shoulder. "He's okay, Miks," I said.

She nodded and we finished our climb up.

"You little brat!" Kyo yelled at Momiji as soon as we were out in the open air. "Do you know what you almost did? !"

"You are going to be grounded for one week," Hatori said.

"What'd I do? Kiku," Momiji said, hopping over to me and up into my arms, "they're scaring me!"

"Leave her alone!" Kyo shouted. "It's your own damn fault!"

"I'm very disappointed in you," Hatori said. "We're only lucky Yuki was able to distract everyone."

"Yeah," Kyo chuckled. "He just had to bat those pretty eyelashes a couple times-"

He was cut off by a swift punch in the face, courtesy of Yuki.

"Next time, I'll send you flying off the roof," Yuki threatened, standing over Kyo.

"Damn rat," Kyo muttered, rubbing his mouth and nose.

"Momiji, you really have to be more careful," Yuki said, kneeling in front of where Momiji was (now on top Miki's head -that rabbit could move!).

"Indeed," Hatori said from his place behind Yuki. "You'd do well to heed that advice. Now I think it's time we went home."

"Aw, come on!" Momiji whined. "I wanted to talk to Miki and Sachiko and Kiku some more."

"Yes, it would be a shame if you couldn't stay a bit longer," Miki said.

"Take a moment, then," Hatori said. "I'll give you that long to say your goodbyes."

"Hari, you're so dull," Momiji said.

"You heard him!" Kyo said. "Now go home!"

"Oh, yes," Hatori said. "I almost forgot something very important." He turned to Kyo and Yuki. "Yuki, Kyo, stand over there, please," he said, pointing to the chain-link fence that ran along the edge of the roof.

"What?" Kyo asked.

"I want you both to give me a simple answer to this question."

They did as he requested. Then Hatori asked his question.

"What...is the last letter of the alphabet?"

"Z?" they said together.

While they said this, Hatori pulled out a camera and snapped a picture.

Oh, I get it, I thought. When they said "Z," it looked like they were smiling.

"Akito wanted me to take a picture of you while I was here," Hatori explained. "That should be a very nice shot." He picked up Momiji and headed back down the stairs. "So long, then."

"Bye-bye!" Momiji called, waving his little paw at us.

"Hatori!" Kyo shouted. "Come back here!" He ran off after him.

Sachiko and I sighed.

"Come on, Saki. Let's go make sure he doesn't kill anyone."

"Hey, if he gets too rough, you could just hug him," she said.

I laughed. "Yeah, right."

Miki gave us a slightly worried look, but we gave her reassuring ones in return. She told us she wanted to get to know Yuki better, I thought. Time alone is an excellent place to start.

I guess we didn't get to find out whether or not Hatori is a member of the Zodiac, I thought as we went down the stairs.

We ran to catch up with Kyo and Hatori and Momiji.

"Kyo!" I called.

"What? !" he shot back.

"If you get too out of control, I'm gonna hug you!"

"Kyo, why are you blushing?" Momiji asked.

Sachiko and I laughed.

"Shut up, you little brat! And you!" he said, turning and pointing at me.

"Yes?" I asked, grinning.

He just stood pointing at me.

"You _do_ like hugging her, Kyo," Momiji said smugly.

"What did I just tell you? !"

"And what did she just tell you?" Sachiko asked, hooking her thumb at me, her other hand on her hip.

"Is this something that happens...every day?" Hatori asked.

"No, this is a special day," Sachiko said.

"Kyo, I'm warning you..."

"You can't scare me, Kiku!"

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah, really!"

"Then let's see how you like this!"

I stepped forward, looked him right in the eyes, and put my arms around him. He had a split second to be surprised before he transformed.

"Alright, I get it! I get it! Now let me go!" He wriggled, but I held on.

"Enjoy it while you can, Kyo!" Sachiko sang.

"Who said I was enjoying this? Let me go!"

I just smiled and hugged him tighter. "Then why were you blushing when I hugged you?" I whispered.

He stopped struggling and sighed.

"At least now I have some kind of defense against you," I said.

"Like I'd ever let you get close enough to do this again," he said.

3_3_3_3_3

"This is terrible."

Miki looked at Yuki, kneeling down on the rooftop. He was looking over the edge, and maybe contemplating whether or not to fling himself off of it.

"I can only imagine what Akito will do if he sees a picture of me like this." He started pulling at the outer shirt of the costume.

"Ah!" Miki cried worriedly. "No, Yuki! Don't! It's cold out here! And your asthma...!"

The outer shirt rested on his head, and he started unbuttoning the under part. One of the shoulders fell off, revealing his bare skin.

"Anything would be better than wearing this stupid outfit," he said.

"But...just think of all the compliments you were getting," Miki offered, trying not to stare at him.

"It is not a compliment for a man to be called 'cute,'" he said.

Miki started and turned away from him. "I'm sorry," she said. "I guess I was going to say I thought you were cute, too..."

She slapped a hand over her mouth. I can't believe I just said that out loud! she cried in her head.

Yuki stopped and thought for a moment. "Miss Miyamoto...I'm sorry you had to see me like this."

She looked at him.

"I must seem pretty foolish to you. And I was, I guess. I suppose I should have just told those senior girls 'No.'"

Miki looked at him for a few seconds, then smiled a little. "I don't think it's as bad as you think. I know I always liked it when my par- I mean, my grandparents called me cute. It was one of the ways they told me they loved me."

Miki could still remember all the times they'd called her that, and smiled at the memories floating through her mind.

"It always made me so happy. It was just another way they showed their affection...and...and you know, thinking about it, I really miss them saying it, too. And so it just means that everybody likes you and..."

She was getting a little nervous now. She sighed. "I guess I'm not being very helpful, am I?"

Yuki was silent for a moment. "Well...I don't know," he said. "Hearing you, when you put it like that, it does make me feel a little better."

Miki smiled a little.

"I suppose I can wear this thing a while longer, as a favor to the seniors."

He paused again. "But...uh..." He looked up at her. "Before I put it on, do you think you can give me a hand? One of the buttons is caught in my hair."

Miki blushed and smiled. "Sure."

She knelt down in front of him and gently started to un-snag the button. "I can see how a dress like this might be a pain," she said, "putting it on or taking it off."

"But if you tried it on," Yuki said, "I'll bet this dress would look good on you."

The shirt fell off his head as she un-snagged it.

She blushed again. "Well, thanks...but I don't know about that. I guess I've never really been one to wear this sort of thing."

"You'd be cute."

She started and looked at him.

He smiled at her. "In fact, I'm sure of it," he said. "You'd be very cute, Miss Miyamoto."

Their faces were only inches from each other's.

It surprised Miki that she was blushing so much. Then again, maybe she wasn't so surprised.

3_3_3_3_3

"Did you get the camera back?" Yuki asked.

"Don't even start!" Kyo shouted in reply, giving me a look.

I smiled.

"It wasn't any use."

Yuki turned to the three of us (two of which were wondering why the third was blushing so much). "Listen, ladies?"

"Yes?" Sachiko said.

"It's about Hatori. If you ever see him again, I think it's best if none of you are alone with him."

We looked at each other, then back at Yuki.

"Huh?" I asked. "Why?"

"It's just... It's not that Hatori himself is a bad person or anything," he said. "Remember how I told you how, when I was young, all those childrens' memories were erased?"

Oh, yeah, I thought.

"The person responsible for that... That person was Hatori."

All our backs stiffened.

"That's the reason why I'm concerned."

Kyo didn't say anything, but he looked a little concerned, too.

"I thought I should warn you three about it now."

I was about to ask why, when a message came over the intercom for the three of us to go to the conference lounge.

"We'll be right back," Miki said as we left.

Yuki and Kyo looked curiously after us, but we were as clueless as they were.

We opened the door to the conference room.

"Hello?" Miki asked.

"I apologize for having to page you three like that."

We all sucked in a breath. Hatori!

"But what with...Kyo and Yuki around, it didn't seem I would have a chance to speak properly."

Yuki just finished warning us, I thought, and here we are, alone!

"Right to the point, then," Hatori said. He held out a folded-up piece of paper. "This is the address for the main Sohma estate."

Sachiko took it.

"I want you three to come by on your next day off. I believe we have several very important matters to discuss."

I swallowed. Maybe Hatori was the wrong person to hug Kyo purposely in front of, I thought.

"And it goes without saying," he continued. "None of you are allowed to speak of our meeting to Yuki, Kyo, or Shigure. Nor are you allowed to refuse my request. Am I being clear?"

What should we do? I wondered nervously. If we say no, does that mean our memories get erased? But what if we do go? It could be he really only needs to talk to us. And Mom did always say that I should try to give people the benefit of the doubt.

I'm really trying here, Mom! But it's easier said than done!

"W-we undertand," I stuttered.

"Don't worry!"

We jumped and yelped a little.

"I'll be there to keep an eye on you! And I'll keep the other one on Hari. So you should come over!"

"Oh," Sachiko gasped. "We didn't know you were here, Momiji."

"Momiji," Hatori said warningly.

"Hey, if I were them, I'd be scared to be alone with a creepy guy like you!" Momiji said.

No kidding, I thought, glancing at Hatori.

Momiji smiled at us. "So you're gonna come, right?" he asked.

I guess if Momiji's there with us, I won't be quite so nervous, I thought. Still, it seems odd that he would want us to come to the Sohma estate by ourselves like this. And even more odd that we're not allowed to say anything to anyone.

I wonder...exactly what's going to be waiting for us when we get there?

Like I said, longer chapter. I really hope this makes up for my horrible revewing schedule *bows* Thanks for reading! Let me know your thoughts!


	24. A'Visiting We Shall Go

**It's that time again! More story for you! YAY! Since I did so much groveling last time, I'll try to keep it to a minimum on this intro.**

***sniffle* I'm so sorry! Please forgive me for not updating faster! I get lazy and end up sitting around procrastinating on homework and working on sequels to stories I haven't even started posting yet! T.T**

***ahem* Okay...on to replies...**

**NEW REVIEWER ZOMG! :D Thank you, stabbythings for your review! Thank you, thank you, thank you! :D I hope you continue to enjoy the story!**

**D.W: That's deep :) And woot for not talking about English! xD I could imagine that, too. Then again, Kyo just seems like the kind of person whose in need of some perspective-putting wise words (if that makes any sense xD) Pages? That's awesome! I would love to hear them sometime! :D Thanks so much!**

**EmiShae: (1) Yay for tackle-glomps! :D Heh, if I went blind, it'd be the same deal xD No, I can't see that as good news either hahaha Momiji, yes, you called it! And (as you've already read), I tweaked it so Saki would be there. There was no way I'd have her miss the Cultural Festival! (And Saki _is_ the type to skip, but I didn't think that'd be good, heh.) The twins, yay! hahaha *burst out laughing* I literally died at your "said with fondess" remark XD I love Tamaki. That naïve, flamboyent prince! *also said with fondness* xD  
****(2) Yesh, two in a row to show how sorry I am for not updating faster T.T hahaha Aaaaa, you recognized it from the manga! That's too awesome. ^.^ Well, I figured that if I were around Kyo and he was making me angry that I'd just hug him to end the arguement xD Thank you so much, my awesome reviewer! 3 (Oh, P.S., be on the look-out for a special message from me! ^.^)**

**Well, let's get on with the story, shall we?**

**-XXIV. A-Visiting We Shall Go-**

Kyo ran down the stairs, a new sensation of panic running through his mind. "You guys!" He burst into the living room, where Yuki and Shigure were calmly watching TV and drinking tea. "She's-! I mean, they're gone! I can't find them anywhere!"

"Who?" Shigure asked, as if he were already bored with Kyo that morning. "Oh, you must mean Kiku and Miki and Sachiko, right?"

"Who else would I mean? !" Kyo shot back angrily.

"They told us last night at dinner," Shigure said, "that they were going over to a friend's house for a visit today."

"Wha-?" Kyo asked, looking at Shigure. "They did? Really?"

"That's what he said. Or weren't you listening?" Yuki asked sleepily.

"Shut up!" Kyo shot back. "I mean, they hardly ever go out and stuff!"

"Well, it goes to show how accustomed you've gotten to having her-"

Kyo glared at Shigure.

"I mean, them. Having them around the house. Their abscence is felt. Alas, where have our beautiful flowers now gone?" he asked woefully.

Kyo just stared at him.

Yuki sighed. "You're babbling again."

"Yeah, whatever," Kyo said, turning and walking away.

Don't have to get all up in my face just 'cause I didn't hear them say they were going out, he thought. I just wasn't really listening last night. Okay, yeah, I remember her saying something. I guess I was just...paying attention to...other things...

He shook his head violently and ran his hands through his orange hair.

Since when do you think about this kinda stuff? he thought. It's like ever since you started living here with...her...

Okay, stop right there, Kyo. She's just a girl. Just a talented...smart...caring... And she's pretty cute, too... And she's the only one that comes looking for me when I'm sulking on the roof. And sometimes I act mad around her when I'm really not.

Yeah, like I'd ever be able to tell her any of that.

**;;;;;**

[_Now to Hatori. He's kind of narrating here, so...just go with it. Please._]

Since long ago, whether by Akito, or my father before him, I have been called upon numerous occasions to suppress the memories of others. I knew the suffering it would cause Yuki if I erased his young friends' memories. But still...I did as was required.

_"Hatori, you're as cold as snow."_

And so it seems...the words Akito spoke that day are more true than even he realized.

**1_1_1_1_1**

The three of us stood outside the gates of the main Sohma house, shivering. And, at least in my case, not just shivering from the cold.

"It's so big," Sachiko said.

"Must be a big family," Miki said.

"I still wish we could've told someone back at the house that we were coming here," I said quietly, "especially after what Yuki said about Hatori. And then there's this Akito person..." I could hear my pulse pounding in my ears.

"Kiku, you're getting too worked-up about this," Sachiko said. "It'll be fine."

"To think that we might have to meet the head of the Sohma family all by ourselves!"

"She's not listening," Miki sighed.

"No, I'm not," I said, "because I'm worried!"

"Hi!"

We all jumped -I the highest.

"Hi, Momiji!" Sachiko called. "We didn't see you there!"

He giggled and waved to us from his place on top of the wall next to the gate. "You three are right on time! Go ahead and let yourselves in." Then he jumped out of sight.

I exhaled deeply. Right, I thought. Momiji's coming with us.

We cracked open the gate and peeked in.

Even bigger than it looks from the outside, I thought.

"Come in! Come in!"

We looked at Momiji.

"Welcome to the House of Sohma!"

It's like a whole little town, I thought.

It really was. The stone pathway led away from the gate, and wound its way among the innumerable houses that made up the main Sohma estate. I had no idea how many people lived there, but it could've been in the hundreds.

"It's really quiet," Miki whispered as we followed Momiji down the stone path, our sneakers barely making a sound with each step we took. "Not a soul around."

"Like a ghost town," I said, my heart racing again.

"Would you chill out?" Sachiko said. "Everything's gonna be fine. You're just making yourself more nervous."

"Right," I said. Though I really had no intention of calming down. At least, not completely.

"C'mon!" Momiji said. "This way! I'll show you the rest of the way to Hari's house." He took my hand and tried to pull me after him.

I resisted a little.

He looked back at me and smiled. "What? You're not scared, are you?"

"No, of course not," I lied, smiling.

"I like Hari a lot!" Momiji said. "I think you three will too, once you get to know him."

Let's hope so, I thought as we followed Momiji.

He led us into Hatori's house, and we knelt on the floor in his office.

"Please, relax. Make yourselves comfortable," Hatori said to us.

That's what doctors always say right before they do something that really hurts, I thought. And he's a doctor, so I bet he can hear my pulse pounding. Ehh, I have to calm down!

I looked over at his desk, which was up against the wall with shelves framing it, and noticed a picture frame on a shelf with some books. From where I was sitting, I could tell that it was a picture of a woman, but I couldn't see details.

A photograph? I wondered. I wonder why he has that there? It doesn't look like he keeps any other personal things in here. And he seems like the type of person who likes to keep up a very professional appearance.

Oh no, I thought. What if when he said he had something important to discuss with us, maybe he meant we'd done something wrong! I mean, if he's concerned with appearances, someone from a big, important family like the Sohmas probably doesn't what to be associated with three girls who used to live in a tent. Maybe we've offended him somehow without even realizing it!

I groaned a little and fell forward, my hands in front of my knees on the floor.

Miki and Sachiko rolled their eyes, probably already knowing what I'd been thinking. (It's that whole best-friends-on-the-same-wavelength thing.)

"Kiku?" Momiji asked. "You don't look like you feel too good. You want Hari to look at you? He is a doctor, you know."

I jumped back up to my originial position. "No! I'm alright! Everything's fine!" I assured quickly.

"Sure," Miki whispered sarcastically.

I elbowed her in the ribs.

"I am a doctor, yes."

We all looked at Hatori.

"But my practice is devoted exclusively to the Sohma family." He sat back down in his chair. "And I should say Akito in particular. He suffers frequent illness and requires much of my time."

"Oh, we had no idea," I said.

"So my time is valuable." He looked at us. "Right to the point, then?"

"Sure," Sachiko said.

"Even within the Sohma family itself, there are few who know our secret in regard to the Zodiac. It is exceedingly rare that complete outsiders such as yourselves should come to learn of it. Ordinarily, this would have been corrected at once."

Shivers ran up and down my spine as I wondered if he was going to correct it now.

"But, thus far, it seems Akito has made an exception in your case."

Phew, I thought.

"Tell me," he continued. "Do you enjoy living there, at Shigure's house?"

"Yes, very much," Miki said.

"All the more reason that you should leave," he said, turning to us again.

We looked at him in surprise.

"It would be best for you all if you had nothing further to do with the Sohmas. Leave Shigure's house and return to your own families. That's only reasonable, is it not?"

I could tell Miki was about to say that some of us couldn't, but I shook my head at her. We all looked down sadly.

"Knowing Shigure," Hatori said, standing, "I doubt he would ever say anything to you."

Momiji and the three of us watched him walk back over the the door.

"But there are many dark secrets within the House of Sohma. Life among us is not as pleasant as you three seem to believe. An evil shadow looms over this family. That is the nature of our curse."

Evil? I wondered.

He turned back to us. "Before you come to regret having been involved with the Sohmas, leave them."

We were silent. What were we supposed to say? Luckily, Momiji saved us.

"Say, Hari, I want to take the girls outside and show them the gardens. That's okay, right?"

Without waiting for an answer from Hatori, Momiji tossed us our coats and shoes and led us out the door.

"C'mon! It'll be fun! I'll even show you my favorite spot! Come on, this way!"

**3_3_3_3_3**

Hatori sat back in his chair, sighed, and looked up at the photograph on the shelf.

_"Life among us is not as pleasant as you three seem to believe. An evil shadow looms over this family..."_

**3_3_3_3_3**

_"That is the nature of our curse."_

Hatori's words still rang in my head as I followed Momiji and the others outside.

"It's quiet, isn't it?"

I looked up at Momiji's question. I guessed that it had been directed toward me, since I was the quietest. "Yes, it is," I said.

"It's because everyone's at the main house getting ready for New Year's," he said. "It's a really big deal for us. It's the one time of year that we all get together, so there's a lot to do!"

"Sounds like it," Miki said.

"Know what? From that tree-lined road outside the gate," he said, pointing, "to the main house over there, everyone who lives around here, they're all related to the the Sohma family," he said, spinning around.

"Wow," Sachiko said. "That's incredible!"

"Shigure and Yuki? They used to live here, too, a long time ago," he continued. He turned and faced the nearest house. "The only ones who can live inside the gates are members of the Zodiac, like me, or people who know about the secret."

So maybe it's more like a village than a town, I thought.

Momiji started walking again, and we followed him.

_"It is exceedingly rare that complete outsiders such as yourselves should come to learn of it..."_

Momiji led us back around Hatori's house, and we sat on the back porch, looking at the snow-dusted garden.

"Did you know that Hari can barely see out of his left eye?"

So that's why his hair covers his eye, I thought as we all looked at Momiji.

"Hari had a girlfriend once, Kana. She worked as his assisstant for a while. And I remember, she was really nice. When she found out about Hari and the Zodiac and all, it didn't even bother her. She just laughed about it."

We three just looked on as he told this story.

"They got engaged, and they were going to get married. But when they told Akito...well, he got really, really angry, and he said that he wasn't going to allow it. I guess his temper got out of control, 'cause that's when he hurt Hari's eye. But Hari didn't blame him, though. And Kana...she blamed herself. She was convinced that Hari getting hurt like that was all her fault. She couldn't forgive herself, and it gradually started to eat her away inside.

"So Hari did the only thing he could do. He erased Kana's memories. He couldn't stand to watch her tearing herself apart over him, so he made her forget that the two of them had ever been in love.

"Kana left. Hari cried. And, in spite of all that, he never once blamed Akito."

I had a lump in my throat so big, I thought I'd never get rid of it.

"Why?" Sachiko asked.

"Well," Momiji said. "Because that's the curse. That's why I can understand a little bit of what Hari feels. He doesn't want anyone else to end up like Kana did. He doesn't want any of you to be hurt, the same way she was."

That did it. I started crying.

Momiji looked up. "Huh? Kiku?"

I felt Miki's and Sachiko's hands on my back.

"Are you crying?" Momiji asked worriedly. "Was it me? Did I make you cry? I'm sorry."

I shook my head.

"I'm sorry, okay?"

My whole body shook with hiccups and sobs. "No, that's not it," I gasped. "It's just that...I was so worried about coming here. And the whole time, he just wanted to help us. He was being kind. But...after all that you just told us -what he's been through- he's the one that deserves to be shown kindness. Not us. Not me."

Momiji blinked at me, then smiled a little. "I'll got get something to warm us up, okay? I'll be right back," he said, standing up.

"We'll come with you," Sachiko said as she and Miki stood up, too.

"You need some time to yourself, I think," Miki said, putting her hand on my shoulder.

They went off after Momiji before I could protest or offer to go with them.

"You can go inside, if you want!" Momiji called over his shoulder.

I looked after them for a moment, wiping tears from my eyes. I bent down and slid my boots off, then stood up on the porch.

I looked up. "Huh? It's snowing."

**3_3_3_3_3**

Hatori looked at her.

_"I knew it would snow today!"_

**3_3_3_3_3**

I turned, and was surprised to find Hatori in the doorway, looking at me.

He looked surprised for a split second, then went back to his usual unreadable demeanor. For someone to be unreadable to me was a rare thing indeed. Then again, it seemed like the Sohmas in general were a confusing family.

"I'm sorry, I..." I started. "I guess we don't really know anything at all about the Sohmas."

"And there's no reason why you should," Hatori said. "In fact, it would be best if you forgot whatever it is Momiji told you."

I looked back out at the falling snow. "Does that mean you've forgotten about her, Hatori?" I asked.

"It's...all in the past," was all he said.

"I'm sorry," I said quickly, turning to face him.

"There's nothing to apologize for." He stepped farther out onto the porch. "I do still speak with Kana from time to time, but that's all."

He looked at me. "Now, I wonder if you would be so kind as to excuse me. I believe I've said enough for one day." He bowed a little and turned to leave.

"Oh, no, please..."

He looked at me again.

"Uh...I'd really like it if you stayed." I walked over to stand in front of him. I wanted to talk to him some more. Learn more about...well, everything. "Maybe you could show me around the house-"

Klutzy me, I took a step back without looking, and fell right off the porch. I gasped a little.

Hatori was quick to react. He grabbed my hand and pulled me to him.

Oh, crap, I thought.

We landed in the snow, me on top of him. I had a moment to be surprised before a familiar puff of smoke appeared.

Crap, crap, crap, was all I could think.

I pulled myself up and looked around. When the smoke cleared, I looked down. "Hatori?"

There, curled up on Hatori's lab coat, was a little seahorse. And he didn't look so good.

My eyes widened and I gasped. "Ah! Water! No! Seawater! Oh, which one is it? What do I do? Hatori!"


	25. Snow and Spring

**It's that time again! Alright, we're going to skip all the groveling (although I'll be thinking it all the same...) and get right to the replies and the story!**

**EmiShae: Eep! Thanks! Well, yeah, technically, in this story, Tohru doesn't exist *sweatdrop* I kinda feel bad about that, since she's such an interesting character, but keeping up with three OCs is hard enough without Tohru in the mix xD But, yesh! Kyo had thoughts about Kiku! Squee! ^.^ Hahaha! You're so silly, my friend xD Thanks so much! XOXO :D**

**stabbythings: WOO for saltwater! XD Hahahaha! I suggest you get some food, then! xD Thanks for the review! :D**

**D.W: WOW O.O That's a lot of sayings! Heh, your comment at the end made me laugh xD They are wonderful indeed! I shall have to keep this list somewhere to see if I can use any in the future... Thanks so much! :D**

**Okay, let's get to the story! Enjoy!**

**-XXV. Snow and Spring-**

Hatori remembered the day that he had met Kana very well. Regardless of what he told others, he hadn't forgotten.

[_Going into a flashback thing again._]

Hatori was making notes at his desk when he heard a knock on the doorframe.

"Hello in there," a woman said.

He looked up.

The woman was very pretty. Short brown hair, and big green eyes. "I'm Kana Sohma. It's nice to meet you," she said, bowing. "I'll be your new assisstant, as of today. So whatever you need me to do, just say the word."

Hatori went about his work as if she weren't speaking.

She laughed a little, nervous. "This is a little strange, huh? I guess we're part of the same family, and I've never even seen you before. But when I told my friends I'd be working with you, they all warned me you'd be handsome."

"This will be your desk," Hatori said. "And these are today's charts," he said, laying some binders on her desk. "You'll want to start looking-"

"Ah! It's snowing!"

He looked at Kana, who was looking out the window.

"I knew it would snow today."

She clasped her hands behind her back. "Say, here's a question for you. When the snow melts, what does it become?"

Does she think I'm an idiot? Hatori wondered. "The answer is water, of course," he said.

"Bzz-bzz!" she said. "Nope!" She turned to him and smiled. "It becomes spring! I think spring is my favorite time of year."

[_Now the narrative part._]

Oftentimes, in memory, there is a tendency to overly romanticize the people we care about. I know this, and in spite of this fact, the truth remains. She was my spring.

Yes, if, as Akito had said, I had become the frozen snow in the dark, secretive world of the Sohmas, then she was the fresh, vibrant spring, full of life and light.

It seems almost inevitable now, the way we were drawn to each other. It was the beginning of a beautiful dream. And then...

There was a puff of smoke, and Kana looked down at Hatori's Zodiac form.

...she found out.

"W-water! No! Seawater! I don't know! Which one is it? What do I do? Hatori!"

Kana scooped up Hatori and threw him into some bathwater. After he changed back and got dressed, she toweled his hair off.

"I will say this, at least," Hatori said, chuckling. "If you threw a real seahorse into the tub like that, it would probably die."

"I was afraid of that," Kana said. "I was so shaken up, I couldn't think! But I guess I finally know the reason. I'd been wondering why it was you never wanted to hold me.

"It's because you were afraid, is that it? You were afraid of what would happen if I found out. That's why you keep your distance from people, especially the ones you love. But you don't have to be afraid. Not of me."

Her eyes welled up with tears. "Hatori, I'm so glad to have met you." She rested her forehead against his towel-covered head. "And I'm even happier to have fallen in love with you. I want to stay with you." She wrapped her arms around his head.

I wept. For the first time in my life, I felt as though I had been allowed something, as though I had been saved from something. I could not stop the tears. They were the frozen snow, melted by the first warm breath of spring.

I lost myself in the dream. And I laughed, as never before, as though years of happiness had been compressed into each and every new moment we shared.

Hatori and Kana went to tell Akito of their desire to be married.

Akito sat at the front of the room. Hatori kneeled closest, and Kana knelt farther back.

"Kana and I wish to be married."

But all dreams must end.

Akito growled and threw a vase at Hatori, hitting him in the face. "No!" he shouted. "I won't allow it! I refuse to allow it!"

Blood splattered from Hatori's eye, and he pressed his hand against his face, doubling over.

Kana stared at the scene in wide-eyed terror.

"Hatori, what's wrong?" Akito asked, moving closer. "Hatori..." Akito stood and glared at Kana. "You did this! This is your fault!" he accused, pointing a bony finger at her. "If Hatori loses his sight, it's your fault!"

Kana's hands moved to her face as she began crying.

"It's your fault!"

Shigure burst into the room. "Akito! Hatori!"

"Do you think you can lift the Sohma curse? Do you? !"

Kana edged back in fear.

"Kana!" Shigure ordered. "Hurry! Take Hatori out of here!"

Hatori looked down at his blood-soaked hand.

Shigure grabbed Akito's arms and held him back.

"Let me go!" he ordered. He glared back at Kana, who didn't move. "You can't lift the curse! We don't need you! You're worthless to us!"

Hatori looked at Kana worriedly.

"It's your fault! It's your fault! It's all your fault!"

No matter what I said, no matter what I did, each time I tried to console her, she collapsed into tears, until eventually, her grief began to consume her.

Akito looked at the finch perched on his finger. "It's expecially at times like this that your techniques become useful," he said to Hatori. "Don't you agree? We both know her memory should be erased. Before now, I doubt you would have even hesitated."

The finch flew away and Akito bent down in front of Hatori. "At this very moment, it's her memories of you, her feelings for you, that cause her to suffer." He grabbed Hatori's tie and pulled him forward. "You're the only one who can save her. You can put an end to her suffering. It will be your final act of love, Hatori."

_"It would have been better..."_

"The truth is, she wants to you release her."

_"...better if you and I had never met..."_

"The truth is, she wants to forget."

_"...would have been better if you and I had never met..."_

In the past, even if I knew the pain or sadness it might cause, it was a burden I was forced to bear. I had no choice but to erase a person's memory once the order was given. How could I have known that, by my hand, the person dearest to me would also have her memories erased, the very memories we shared together? This was my reward.

Hatori moved his hand over Kana's tear-filled eyes. "Thank you, Kana," he said. "Everything will be alright now. You won't have to be troubled over me any longer. I hope that, one day, you will meet someone who can truly make you happy."

She reached her hand up, and Hatori took it in his. "It is my dearest wish that you do."

"Hatori," she said. "I-I'm so sorry...I wasn't able to protect you... Forgive me."

Hatori looked at her, grief plain on his face. He squeezed her hand tighter. But he had to do it.

A light shot out from his hand, and it was done. Kana fell backwards onto the floor, her memories gone.

He cried. He cried and sobbed great tears of grief and sorrow.

Kana lay on the floor, peace spread across her still, beautiful face.

I was the one who should have apologized. I was the one who couldn't protect her.

_"Hatori, I'm so glad to have met you. And I'm even happier to have fallen in love with you."_

I knew that day that I would live the rest of my life as the frozen snow, so that the dream we had together would never melt away.

"Sorry things didn't work out," Kana said, bowing. "But, what I was able to learn from you will be my pride as a doctor! Uh, I mean, once I finish school, of course!"

And with that, she left, walking out of Hatori's life forever.

**1_1_1_1_1**

"Hatori..." I said quietly, facing away from him.

He had passed out shortly after he'd transformed. I'd put him on his labcoat and clothes, and then covered him with my coat. I'd folded my scarf into a pillow.

I picked up Kana's picture and knelt outside on the porch, looking at it. A couple of my tears hit the glass of the frame.

"Please," I said. "If there's anything you can do to help him." I knew Kana couldn't hear me, but, for some reason, I felt that she was the only one who could've helped us.

"I know we're glad to have met the Sohmas. We don't regret it. I can't imagine anymore what our lives would be like without them. You must have felt that way once, too, Kana. So, if there's anything you can do to help Hatori now, please..."

I saw movement out of the corner of my eye, and turned to see Hatori, now back to human form. And naked.

I snapped my head back around. "Ah, I'm sorry! I didn't look! No, I, uh... I didn't know what else to do, so I moved you up here to the room, where you could lay down. And I know it's not the best thing, but all I had to cover you up with was my coat. And I know it's dirty and all. A-And I'm sorry, but like I said, it's all I had-"

"Did you see it?"

My back stiffened. "No! You see, I uh..."

"I mean my Zodiac form."

"Oh," I breathed. "Yes, I did," I said, smiling a little. "And I thought it was really cute. It was pretty amazing to see what animal you were, but more than that, I'm really just glad that you're okay."

I looked up when I saw him standing next to me, fully dressed again.

Oh, here," I said, handing him back Kana's picture. "I hope you don't mind. I sort of...took it without asking."

He took it back from me and looked at it. I thought I saw the makings of a smile on his face, but I couldn't be sure.

**3_3_3_3_3**

It's been quite some time since I dreamed of her, he thought. He looked out at the snow. Perhaps it's the snow that reminds me.

_"Say, here's a question for you..."_

**3_3_3_3_3**

"Tell me," he said. "When the snow melts, what does it become?"

"Huh?" I asked. "Mm, let's see..." I looked out at the snow. "It becomes spring, right?" I thought he looked a little surprised. "So, even when it's cold like this, I always remember that spring is on its way. It's sort of neat to think about. No matter how much snow there is, it's all going to melt. It always does. I think spring is one of my favorite times of year.

"Oh, you must be freezing. Here, take this," I said, handing him his lab coat. "Of course, autumn's nice too. And you couldn't have spring without it! Say, if you'd like, I could go in and try to find something hot to warm us up!"

I blinked a couple times. "Hmm? 'Something to warm us up'? Feels like...déjà-vu..."

"Ah, lo and behold, there they are!" a familiar voice said.

I looked up. "Shigure?"

"Well, I've been looking for you."

I saw Hatori slip Kana's picture into his coat pocket.

"I found a little lost bunny, and these two, but not you," he said, pulling Momiji over.

"Momiji. Saki, Miki," I said. "Oh, it wasn't déjà-vu. You all have drinks!"

"Sorry it took so long," Miki said.

Shigure took one of the cans from Momiji's arms and tossed it to Hatori. "Hari."

Hatori turned and caught it. "So what brings you here?" he asked.

"Here, Kiku!" Momiji said, handing me a can as Miki and Sachiko opened theirs.

"Thank you," I said.

"I suddenly felt that the girls were here in need of a rescue," Shigure said, answering Hatori. "Call it a writer's intuition, if you will."

"That's a lie," Hatori said. "You only came to see the New Year's preparations, didn't you?"

"Don't let them fool you," Momiji told us as Shigure and Hatori continued on. "These two have been friends since they were kids."

We looked at them.

"No kidding..." Sachiko said quietly.

"Oh, girls, have you asked Hari what Zodiac animal he is?"

Hatori gave Shigure a look. "One more word, Shigure, and the entire publishing industry will know every embarrassing thing you've done since you were four."

"Understood," he said, holding his hand up in surrender. "My lips are sealed."

We three laughed a little.

"It's not like it's that hard to figure out," Momiji said.

"Momiji!"

He clamped his mouth shut.

"I really don't see how it's anything you should be embarrassed about," I mused.

They all looked at me in shock, then at Hatori.

Shigure looked at Hatori expectantly, wanting an answer, but he just casually sipped his drink, ignoring Shigure.

I followed his lead. I sighed happily. "It's so warm!"

I gave him a conspiritorial smile, and he smiled a little back.

**;;;;;**

"Spill!" Sachiko ordered as we left Hatori's house.

"Spill what?" I asked, grinning.

"What, you hugged Hatori?" Miki nearly screeched.

"What will Kyo say?" Sachiko wondered.

"Oh, hush, you two," I said. "Like most times, it was an accident."

"I was going to say, Kiku," Miki said, "he's handsome and all, but he's the same age as Shigure. That's just a little weird, don't you think?"

I shrugged.

"I can see how today might have been stressful for you three," Shigure said, oblivious to our conversation. "But now that it's over, Hatori's not that bad of a guy, is he?"

"I think Kiku could answer that better than us..."

I elbowed Miki in the ribs and we laughed.

Shigure just smiled a little.

"No," I said. "In fact, he was really quite the gentleman."

Suddenly, a finch flew by, a feather dropping off near my head. I stopped and turned to look. I saw a figure, a boy, leaning out of a window. He blinked once, then stood and walked away.

I wonder, I thought. Could that have been-?

"Come on, Kiku," Shigure said.

By the expressions on their faces, the boy hadn't escaped Miki's or Sachiko's notice either.

"It's easy to get lost in here."

"Shigure," Sachiko said. "Tell us, what is the curse...exactly? Are we doing something that we shouldn't be?"

Shigure smiled reassuringly. "I wouldn't worry. Just keep being yourselves," he said. "That's really all you need to know."

It's been a strange day, I thought as we headed home. It seems like we learned a lot, but at the same time, it still feels like I, for one, don't know anything at all.

"I'm home!" Shigure called as we went through the door.

"Us too! We're here!" Sachiko chimed in. "Sorry, we're so late."

We went to the living room, where we heard the TV on. Upon sliding back the door, we found two sleeping boys.

Yuki was sitting down, bent forward, his arms on the table under his head like a pillow.

Kyo was on the floor, his bottom half under the kotatsu and a pillow under his head.

If I had been inclined to say anything, I would've said, "Awww! How cute!" But I didn't. Though I couldn't help thinking it, along with, "Geez, talk about cute overload."

"Ah. I guess sitting around the heater like that got to be a bit too comfortable," Shigure said quietly.

"I guess so," I said, smiling.

"It might be dangerous to try and wake them up," he said. "Why don't we let them sleep for a while?"

At any rate, I thought as I went upstairs, I do know one thing. I know I'm going to try to always remember the way I feel right now, about everyone, about living here. I never want those feelings to change. Every day that we live here in this house is dear to me. Every single day.

**3_3_3_3_3**

Hatori sat on his back porch, the picture of Kana next to him.

_"It becomes spring, right?"_

Maybe these girls are different, he thought. Maybe...just maybe...they can help us.


	26. Cleaning Up

**Yesh, it's that time yet again! Another chapter! Yay! *confetti***

**stabbythings: Yay for bacon! Even though I'm a vegetarian! xD Glad it was good! And glad you enjoyed the chapter :)**

**D.W: Yay more quotes! Definitely some interesting ones in there... Erm...I don't know what kind of quotes to ask for! haha If you just happen to come across any interesting ones, feel free to shoot 'em at me! Thanks ^.^**

**EmiShae: AH IT'S YOU! Now that that's done...xD I think I _did_ cry the first time I saw that episode... I know I cried at least three times during the course of the series, so this must've been one of those times, heh. The manga _was_ worse! I _know_ I cried when I read that! Don't worry about reviewing late or what-have-you, my friend! I don't mind one bit! Just happy to know what you think heehee ^.^ Thank yoouuuu! :D**

**MangaLuver: Yeah, I'm paralleling the anime, and throwing in things from the manga that I can remember reading. Thanks for reading (and liking it), despite the similarities! :) I hope you continue to like it!**

**It's that time of year for the Sohma family -New Year's! Aren't you glad I didn't wait until the real New Year's to post this? *sweatdrop* haha Enjoy the chapter! Let me know what you think! :D**

**-XXVI. Cleaning Up-**

Momiji telling us that everyone at the Sohma estate was getting ready for New Year's made me realize how much time had already gone by. The year was almost over, and we were starting a new one!

With the holiday also came the New Year's cleaning. It's sort of like spring cleaning in a way. It's just to make sure that your home is ready for the new year.

New Year's Eve was here, and we had pretty much turned the whole house upside down to make sure it was perfectly clean. (If you're wondering, Miki was the most OCD when it came to cleaning. Surprising? Not to us...)

Yuki was cleaning the door when he accidently poked his hand through it.

"Dammit, can't you do anything right? !" Kyo snapped at him as he walked by, carrying a TV.

"You're the last person I need to hear from right now," Yuki retorted.

"What's that supposed to mean? ! You tryin' to start something? !"

"Quit horsing around, you two," Sachiko said as she dusted her way by.

"Who asked you, you dirty b-? !"

I stared at Kyo with wide eyes.

Sachiko whipped her duster around, wrapping it around Kyo's mouth. She pulled his head towards her, cracking his neck. "You gonna talk to me that way after you think about all the work we're doing around here out of the goodness of our hearts?"

Kyo tried to reply, but it was muffled by the duster.

Miki sighed, shaking her head at Kyo, and went to repair the door.

"I...uh...I'm sorry about that," Yuki said.

"Don't worry," she replied with a smile. "It was just a little tear. Easy to fix."

**3_3_3_3_3**

Shigure hopped by, whining, "I think I'm going to wet my pants." When he reached the bathroom door, he found a sign outside that said, _Closed for cleaning._

He opened the door to find Sachiko cleaning it. "Didn't you read the sign?" she asked.

"I just need a minute..." he protested.

She resisted the urge to smirk. "Hana told me this. Did you know, in many ways, the flow of electrical waves through our bodies can be compared to the flow of water?"

Shigure felt very afraid now.

"Over 60% of the human body is made up of water. In other words, if you were to round up, people are water. Many people fail to reazlie this, due to the body's solid appearance. But, nonetheless, on the inside, we are essentially a liquid.

"Water is continually flowing through us. It streams through our veins. It sustains all parts of our bodies: the head, the heart, the stomach, the kidneys, the bladder-"

Shigure slammed the door shut.

Sachiko grinned to herself, and continued with her cleaning.

Shigure went back to his room to find his editor waiting for him.

"Shigure! I need the last 500 pages of your book!" she cried. "I already had to make excuses to the print shop to get them to wait until today. I mean, we can't release a book with the last half of the pages blank! It would be the-"

Shigure closed the door again, his editor staring after him in worried shock.

**3_3_3_3_3**

Yuki and Kyo were now trying to carry a full bookcase outside to the lawn, but they were struggling with it. We asked if we could help, but they said they could handle it.

Mom and I used to take all the things _off_ the shelves before we moved a bookcase, I thought. Oh, well.

Shigure walked by then. Apparently, he was trying to escape his editor.

"Shigure!" Yuki said.

"Just in time! Give us a hand!" Kyo said.

Shigure grabbed part of the case next to Kyo. "Put your backs into it!" he said, lifting up.

Shigure's editor ran in then. "Hey! Shigure...!"

"Mii! Come grab that end!" Shigure strained.

[A/N: For those of you who've never seen the anime or don't know how to read Japanese romaji - Shigure's editor's name is Mii, which is pronounced Mee-ee. Carry on.]

"You should be working on your manuscript!"

"Come on, hurry!" Shigure strained.

"Right!" Mii said, grabbing on and lifting.

Wonder why they wouldn't let us help, I thought as I pushed the table out of their way, but Mii is free to help. Hmm.

"What do you think we should have with the New Year's soba noodles?" I asked Miki as she finished fixing the door.

"Let's see..." she mused. "Maybe some onions, some fish..."

"And bean sprouts," I said.

"Ah, and some tempura," she added.

Yuki, Kyo, and Mii shuffled by, carrying the bookshelf. Then Mii looked up and realized that Shigure was gone. "Huh? ! Where is he? ! Shigure!"

She ran off, leaving Kyo and Yuki to the bookcase. That didn't work so well.

"Hold on!"

"You're gonna drop it!"

"Timber!" Shigure sang from outside in the bushes.

The case fell right into the door. Luckily, I pulled Miki out of the way before she was crushed under it.

"Ah, lovely. They smashed the house again," I heard Shigure say.

Yuki and Kyo stared at the damage.

"It's your fault!" Kyo accused, pointing a finger at Yuki. "Your end fell first, you damn rat!"

"Really?" Yuki asked dryly, turning away. "Your eyes must be as weak as your arms, stupid cat."

"Um...is everyone okay?" I asked.

"That's it!" Kyo shouted. "Let's go!"

Sachiko came out and grabbed Kyo's head with her duster again, pulling him to the ground.

"Why does it always gotta be me?" Kyo grumbled.

"Get off your butt and start cleaning it up," she ordered.

Miki and I repaired the door again, and Yuki started picking up the books. Kyo was up on a chair, fixing the light.

That's when Mii ran through, yelling for Shigure. "Shigure! Shigure!"

"Oy, she's getting on my nerves," I whispered.

"Mine, too," Miki whispered back.

"There, good as new," I said, the door finished.

Mii ran by Kyo, knocking him off-balance. Which, of course, meant he fell from the chair and through the door, smashing it. Again.

"You clumsy idiot!"

I found it funny how Sachiko always appeared to whip Kyo with her duster when he did something or yelled at someone.

"It's not my fault!" Kyo cried.

**3_3_3_3_3**

Meanwhile, Shigure was crouched down on the kitchen floor, trying to grab a quick snack while hiding from Mii.

"What do you think you're doing? !" Mii cried, bursting into the kitchen and glaring down at Shigure.

"Oh, I was just feeling a bit hungry..."

"Five hundred pages! Not five! Five hundred! I need them now!" Mii said, holding up her right hand to show him "five." "You don't have time to be hungry!"

"Of course, of course," Shigure replied, smiling. "I'll get right on that. But one thing before I start... I just need one little favor. Could you hold your hands out for me?"

She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Once I see that, I'll be able to write, no problem."

"Is that a fact?" she asked dryly.

"Mm-hmm!"

She sighed and held her hands out, as if she were holding a box.

"Now just...bend your head down a bit," Shigure said.

She did.

"Donations for the poor beggar girl!"

She growled at him, and he just giggled and ran off.

**3_3_3_3_3**

Yuki held the door up while Miki and I fixed it again. "If you're not helping, you could at least get out of the way," he said to Kyo, who was sitting in front of us on the porch.

"You're the last person I need to hear from," Kyo shot back.

"Kiku, maybe you'd better go on and do the shopping. Saki and I can handle things here," Miki said.

"Oh, okay," I said.

"Shopping!" Shigure said, walking in. "Great! But you'll need someone to carry your things! I'll go too!"

Suddenly, a lasso came from behind and wrapped around his middle. Mii dragged him away.

Where'd she get the rope? I wondered.

"Oh, Kiku. I'm sorry. Something's come up. You'll have to find someone else to go with you," Shigure said sadly, looking like he was going to cry.

I exhaled, wondering for about the hundredth time how on earth Shigure had been capable of living on his own before the rest of us showed up.

**3_3_3_3_3**

Shigure sat at his desk, pen in hand, glasses on, thinking. "Hmm... Hmm... Hmm..."

"Your hands! Your fingers! Start moving them! Write!" Mii cried.

"It's strange," he said, looking up at her. "For some reason, with you standing over my shoulder like this, well...it's stifling my creative spirit. The ideas aren't flowing through the pen like they should."

"I don't want ideas! I want ink! It's way too late for you to be worrying about your creative spirit!"

Shigure stood. "Perhaps I should go in search of quiet inspiration."

Mii jumped over to the door. "Alright! I'm leaving! But you'd better be writing when I come back." She closed the door, and Shigure grinned.

Mii came back a few minutes later, and breathed a sigh of relief to find Shigure writing. She closed the door again, then felt that something was off. She opened the door and looked closer.

It wasn't Shigure at his desk, but a dummy dressed like Shigure.

"Hey!"

No, Shigure was out in the yard, pruning bushes. "There. That should do it," he said to himself. Then he yelped when he saw Mii standing over him, rope in hand yet again.

"He's never going to learn, is he?" Miki asked.

"No, I don't think so," Sachiko replied.

**3_3_3_3_3**

Since Shigure got a little, well...tied up, Yuki agreed to go do the shopping with me. Miki and Sachiko agreed that that was best, since Kyo seemed to be itching for a fight that particular day. Miki didn't even seem angry that I was going with him instead of her. Weird, I know.

Here was my theory: She wanted either me or Sachiko to spend time with him to find out what he was like, so we could report back to her. Either that, or she wanted us to find out if he liked her as much as she liked him.

The only problem with that: Yuki was one of the hardest people to read that I'd ever met in my life. (And that was a lot, coming from me, The Empathy Girl.)

Yuki followed me around the store as I picked things up and put them in the basket.

"So, Miss Oshiro, what are you going to make?" he asked.

"New Year's cakes," I said.

"Uh, New Year's cakes?" he asked.

"Uh-huh! I just hope we picked out ingredients everyone likes," I said, looking in my basket.

"Oh," Yuki said, looking a little sad. "Shigure, Kyo, and I will be going back to the main house tonight. I'm sorry."

I kept looking into the basket, hiding my surprised expression.

"I really should've explained earlier to the three of you. It's sort of a Sohma family tradition. I, uh... I guess it was just such an obvious thing to us that we'd be going, that we completely forgot to mention it to any of you."

"That's alright," I said, covering up my surprise with a smile. "But in that case, I guess I'm getting a little too much, huh?"

Yuki looked a little sad as I started putting things back.

I looked up when I heard the sound of giggling. Two little girls were running down the aisle, and were headed right for Yuki.

"Ah! Yuki, behind you! Look out!"

He didn't have enough time to react.

The first girl ran into him, transforming him.

I quickly scooped him up and threw his clothes in my basket.

The girls looked a little confused, but, luckily, they shrugged it off and continued with their game.

I breathed a quick sigh of relief, then opened my hands. "Are you alright?"

He sighed. "Yes, I'm fine." He looked up at me with his big purple rat eyes. "I'm sorry."

"Not your fault," I said, shaking my head. I glanced around. "Though people might think it's strange to see me talking to a rat..."

"Only if they hear the rat talk back," he said.

I laughed and put him in my coat pocket. "You'll be warm in there," I said. And we'd better head home, I thought. Especially before Yuki changes back!

So I paid for the groceries, took the bags in my hands, and left the store, trying to walk just a little faster than normal...but without looking suspicious.

Yuki looked up at me sadly. "I'm sorry about this," he said. "I was supposed to carry your things for you."

"Don't worry about it," I said. "I've hauled my fair share of grocery bags, so it's no trouble."

**3_3_3_3_3**

Mii was again running about the house, searching for Shigure. She even poked her head into one of the upstairs bathrooms, which Sachiko was cleaning.

She ran down to his room, and opened the door to find him working. She gasped. "Shigure!" She sounded like she was going to cry for joy.

"Ah, Mii," Shigure said calmly. "Be a dear and hand me that newspaper, would you?"

"Ah, research materials, right?" she said, handing it to him. "You're working so hard!"

"Of course I am," he said.

She felt confused when he started cutting the newspaper into strips.

"I have to get ready for New Year's too, you know."

Then she realized that he was working on a kite, the symbol for "dog" written on it. A _kite_, not his book.

She cried out in frustration, but Shigure didn't seem to notice.

He did notice, though, when she grabbed his kite and took off running.

"Mii! Give me back my kite!" he whined, chasing after her.

"I am not giving you this until you're done! I mean it! Not until you're 100% finished! If you want it before then, you'll have to kill me to get it back!"

**3_3_3_3_3**

Yuki changed back some time after we got home, after I'd put him in his room. (Just to be safe.)

Miki and Sachiko had lunch ready when we got back, so we all sat down to eat.

Before Shigure could take his first bite, Mii burst in, holding a kite with the symbol for "dog" on it.

"Do I want to know?" I whispered.

"Not really," Sachiko whispered back. "Just be glad you were spared her yelling for an hour or two."

"Shi...gu...re..." Mii panted. She looked ready to collapse.

"Ah, Mii," Shigure said, smiling. "You look tired. Sit down, have something to eat."

She started bawling, and we all rolled our eyes. Except for Shigure, of course.

**3_3_3_3_3**

"Ah, I'm so full!" Shigure said, walking back to his room. "Now I can spend the new year without a care in the world."

"You can't say that until after you've finished your manuscript!" Mii cried.

"Still, you can't deny the soba was delicious," he commented.

"Now you listen to me! The situation is critical here! Don't you understand? ! We have a deadline to meet! You can't afford to waste time on silly things like soba noodles or New Year's-"

"In fact I think I'd eat it every day if it weren't for what it did to my nails."

"Uh, your nails?" Mii asked.

"Well, if you eat too much soba, your fingernails start to smell funny, don't they?"

Mii looked at him for a moment, then raised her hands to smell her fingernails.

Shigure sniggered. "Mii, you're such a good sport." And he scuttled away, escaping from her next tirade.

Mii, instead of chasing after him yet again, fell to her knees on the floor. "It's hell. I'm in hell. I just know it. Eternally damned. Fire and brimstone. Burning flesh. 'Abandon all hope.'"

Sachiko walked out, looking down at Mii. "Hey."

Mii looked up at her.

"Shigure asked me to give this to you." She handed her a big envelope.

Mii took it and opened it, pulling out a thick stack of papers. "You mean...he had it done the whole time? Why didn't he just tell me? Why? Whyyy?" she sobbed.

Sachiko sighed and offered Mii a tissue.

Shigure chuckled from his hiding place.

**3_3_3_3_3**

After lunch, Miki and Sachiko brought the dishes into the kitchen so I could wash them.

"Ah, New Year's cakes," Miki said, eyeing the little cakes sitting on the counter. "My favorite thing about New Year's."

"But is that going to enough for all six of us?" Sachiko asked.

"Oh, I just made enough for us," I said.

They looked at me.

"Yuki and Kyo and Shigure are going to be spending New Year's at the main house."

"Why didn't they mention this before?" Miki asked.

"Yuki said they weren't really thinking about it because it's a tradition in their family," I said.

"Oh," they said together.

"It's okay, guys," I said. "We'll spend New Year's together, right?"

"Right," they said.

Why don't I believe that we're really okay with them going? I wondered.

**;;;;;**

Hana called later, which I thought was odd. She said that she sensed something was wrong.

I told her that nothing was wrong, and that we were all fine.

Then she asked about how the six of us would be spending New Year's, and I told her about how the guys were going back to their family's estate. Something seemed...off about her after I said that.

We didn't talk much more after that.

Weird, I thought. But I guess Hana's always been a little...out there.

Yeah, look who's talking, Miss "I can sense what you're feeling."


	27. New Year's

**Here's another new chapter! Let me know what you think! ^.^**

**-XXVII. New Year's-**

"Okay," Shigure said to Yuki and Kyo, who were sitting at the table, staring off into space or at the TV. "It's almost time to go. Don't you think you two ought to get ready?"

They ignored him.

"Hm? Yuki, Kyo, we're going to be late."

"Shut up," they said together. "I'm not going."

**1_1_1_1_1**

We were surprised to walk into the living room and find Shigure, Kyo, and Yuki still there.

Shouldn't they be getting ready to leave? I wondered.

"Oh, girls, it's terrible," Shigure whined. "Neither one of these two wants to go back with me to Sohma House..."

That answers that question, I thought.

"Dammit, quit whining!" Kyo shouted, pounding his fist on the table. "You're supposed to be an adult!"

"Um...you're not going back?" I asked as we took our places at the table.

"I haven't been to that place in four months," Kyo said. "I'm not gonna go now just 'cause of some stupid New Year's thing."

"And you, Yuki?" Miki asked.

"I had my reasons for leaving home," Yuki replied. "They'd seem almost meaningless if I went back tonight."

"Why do you have to be like this?" Shigure asked. "You've both gone every year before now, haven't you?"

He turned to us. "You see, New Year's is a big night for the Sohmas. It's the one holiday that the entire extended family gets together to celebrate."

"That _does_ sound big," Miki said.

"Getting through all the introductions can be an event in and of itself," Shigure said. "But I'd have to say the real highlight of the evening is the Zodiac Banquet."

"A banquet?" Sachiko asked excitedly.

"Yes, and it's probably the most important part of the Sohma New Year's celebration," Shigure said. "As the name might imply, it's an event that only members of the Zodiac are allowed to attend. The Zodiac member of the new year performs a dance. This year, it's Momiji's turn." Shigure sighed happily. "Oh, but nothing could compare to the beautiful dance Yuki did three years ago."

"I wish I could've seen it!" Miki said excitedly.

I laughed softly. Of course, I thought.

Yuki picked up three slices of fruit and threw them at Shigure. They slapped against his face.

"I told you never to talk about that."

"Right," Shigure said fearfully.

I pressed my lips together as I tried to suppress my laughter. I caught Kyo's eye and he shook his head a little. It made me want to laugh even more.

"A Zodiac Banquet," Sachiko said. "Just like in the old folk tale!"

"It doesn't matter to me," Kyo said.

We looked at him.

"I mean, it's not like I can even go to that stupid banquet anyway."

"Why not?" I asked.

"It's been a long-standing rule that the Cat isn't allowed to attend. I suppose that's in keeping with the old folk tale as well," Shigure said.

"I'm sorry," I said quietly.

Kyo looked at me for a moment, his cheeks flushing a little. "Ah, it's nothing you gotta be gettin' all upset about," he said, looking away. "I don't care. It's not the reason I'm not going back, if that's what you think."

"I think he's afraid he'll get hurt, what with Kagura so excited to see him and all," Shigure whispered.

My back stiffened, but I also tried not to laugh.

"Shut up!" Kyo shouted at him.

"In any event..." Yuki cut in. "If we go back to Sohma House tonight, we'll have to stay until the third, won't we? So for three days, we'd be leaving the girls here all alone."

Kyo looked at him, as if he hadn't known this.

"Stupid cat, did you just realize that?"

We just did, I thought.

Kyo jumped up and grabbed Yuki's shirt in his hands. "Don't call me stupid!"

"Then don't _act_ stupid, Stupid."

Well, there is that, I thought.

"Please wait, you two," I said.

They looked at me and Miki and Sachiko.

"Thank you for worrying. But you don't have to."

"Yeah, we'll be alright," Sachiko said.

"It's funny, but just knowing you're both thinking about us, well..."

"What she means is," Miki said, cutting me off. "We're happy! And we want you to be happy, too."

I nodded.

"So, go enjoy yourselves," Miki continued.

"This is your family's special night," Sachiko said. "And you'll get to see your parents for the first time in a while, right? I'm sure they're all looking forward to seeing you."

They looked a little...strange at that comment.

"Promise, we'll be fine," I said. "And we'll take great care of the house while you're gone. You're talking to the girls who-"

"Ah!" Sachiko cut in. "The bath water! I left it running again!" She ran out.

We sighed and went after her.

Hope she didn't flood it again, I thought.

**3_3_3_3_3**

"If that doesn't inspire confidence, nothing will," Shigure said.

Yuki and Kyo stood.

"Okay," Yuki said. "I'll go back."

"Guess I've got no choice," Kyo said.

If it's what she wants, Yuki thought.

When she says it like that, and all, Kyo thought.

Shigure looked at them curiously, but didn't ask.

**3_3_3_3_3**

"Try to be careful," Miki said. "Watch out for all the crowds."

"We'll be fine," Shigure said. "There won't be many people out right now."

"You three be careful, too," Yuki said. "Make sure you lock all the doors."

"Got it covered," Sachiko said.

They nodded and walked out.

We went out on the front porch.

"Be safe!" I called.

We waved after them until they were out of sight.

**3_3_3_3_3**

Yuki and Kyo stared at the ground as they followed Shigure through the quiet streets.

"You know," Kyo thought aloud. "Kiku always used to leave that window in her room wide open..."

"What were you doing in her room? !" Yuki demanded.

"I wasn't!" Kyo snapped back. "I saw it from outside!"

Yuki thought of several things he could say in response to that, but he didn't feel like doing more than arguing with Kyo right then. "And I saw her trip on the stairs this morning," he commented instead.

"And she's always bumping into walls and stuff," Kyo said. "Clumsy as she is, if there was a way to choke on rice, she'd find it."

"Don't even joke about that!"

[A/N: I actually _have_ choked on rice before... xD]

"Well, what about Miki?" Kyo asked. "She beats up everything that doesn't move! And some things that do!"

"Like you, you stupid cat?"

"Not what I meant!"

"And Miss Fujioka _can_ be a little careless at times..." Yuki mused.

"You two..." Shigure teased, turning to face them. "You sound like a couple of old ladies, the way you worry."

They looked at him.

"Don't get me wrong, I understand your concern for the girls, but you've already made the decision to go back to Sohma House."

"Now hold on!" Kyo said. "Who said I was concerned?"

"Stop talking nonsense," Yuki said. "Let's go."

They walked past Shigure.

Shigure thought for a moment. "Oh, now that I think about it," he said, turning to look at them. "I did see an article in the evening paper about a rash of burglaries in the neighborhood."

Yuki and Kyo stopped walking, their backs stiffened.

"The culprit is still at large, or so they say."

Oh, great, Kyo thought. If a burglar came to the house, they'd probably try to take him out themselves.

And knowing them, Yuki thought, they'd do it. And then the burglar would come back with a whole mob of burglars.

They both groaned worriedly.

"Well, let's be on our way, shall we?" Shigure asked. "If you two stand in the middle of the street like that-"

"You'll get run over."

They all screamed and jumped. Kyo fell to his knees, but Yuki and Shigure managed to keep their footing. They were a little relieved to find that it was Hana (wearing a long black cloak) who had scared them, not a stranger. Well, per se.

"O-oh, Saki," Shigure said. "What a pleasant surprise."

Why can't she just say "hello" like a normal person? Kyo thought.

Where in the world did she get that cloak? Yuki wondered.

"Can we help you with...something?" Shigure asked.

"Yes..." Hana said. "Perhaps."

"Are you looking for the girls? They're back at the house. We were just on our way to visit our family."

"I see..." she said. She looked at the ground sorrowfully. "Then for them, this will truly be a lonely New Year's. Until now, the girls and their families have spent every New Year's Eve together. Kiku and her mother...Sachiko and her parents...and Miki and her grandparents... But this is the first year since their deaths..."

Realization swept over Kyo and Yuki.

"This is the first year they will ever see without their loving families by their sides. Instead, they will have to spend this night alone. Knowing them, locked up in separate rooms. I offered to stay with them, but they wouldn't hear of it. They just said I should be with my own family. But what about them? What family do they have tonight? And how will they feel, sitting there by themselves, remembering the New Years of the past, and will never share with their families again? How will they feel when the New Year's bells begin to chime, the same bells they used to stay up late to hear with their parents?"

How did she -they- feel? Yuki wondered. Standing there as we were leaving?

When she- I mean, they, were smiling and waving goodbye? Kyo wondered.

"Do you really think they'll be unaffected by that?" Hana continued. "Do you really think they'll be alright?"

How does she feel right now? Kyo wondered.

Alone in separate rooms, Yuki thought.

Suddenly, Yuki and Kyo cried out in pain, holding their heads.

"Do I even want to know what happened?" Shigure asked.

[_Commentary by Hana_]

I can explain.

"What are you doing?" Kyo asked. "You know Akito's just gonna get pissed!"

Kyo bumped his head as he was standing up.

"And what about you?" Yuki asked, smirking. "I wouldn't keep Kagura waiting."

The thing he bumped into was Yuki's right cheek. This happened due to the fact that both of them started moving at the same time.

End of commentary.

"Shut up!" Kyo said to Yuki as both of them walked back down the street the way they had come. "Why don't you go see her if you're so worried about it?"

"I'm busy," Yuki said.

"Um, wait a minute," Shigure said. "Where are you going, exactly?"

They both stopped, then turned back to Shigure. "I'm going home!" they said in unison, then took off running back for home.

Shigure looked at Hana. "So, Saki. I'm suddenly under the distinct impression that you had all of this planned out."

Hana gave him a sideways glance. "I didn't really know what would happen if I came," she said. "I only knew that I wanted to do something for my friends. And that is all."

She turned, her cloak billowing out behind her. "I wish you pleasant electric waves this coming year." And she walked away.

Shigure scratched his head. "Not sure what to make of that one..."

Meanwhile, Kyo and Yuki were running, neck and neck, full-tilt, back to the house.

Why? Yuki wondered. Why didn't I realize sooner?

I just didn't see it, Kyo thought. But how could I? She looks so happy all the time. All of them.

She always has a smile... Sometimes, it seems like even the simplest thing can make them smile for hours. But still...

Saying they don't mind being alone, that they're alright...

There isn't a person alive who'd really feel that way!

**1_1_1_1_1**

I shot up when the front door burst open. The headphones that had been over my ears fell off, hanging around my neck.

**3_3_3_3_3**

Wow, Kyo thought (trying to catch his breath from running) as he looked at Kiku. There was surprise in her teary blue eyes and headphones around her neck. Even though I know she's been crying, she still looks so...

He stopped his thoughts, telling himself not to think about it. For him, it was easier said than done.

**3_3_3_3_3**

I blinked away my tears, shocked to see Yuki and Kyo standing in the doorway, both of them breathing heavily as if they'd just run a marathon.

"Kiku?"

"You okay?"

Miki (it was clear she'd been crying as well) and Sachiko looked as surprised as I felt.

"Oh, you startled me," I said, turning off my iPod. "But why are you-?"

Yuki walked over to Miki. He raised his hand to her face, and lifted a single tear from her eye.

She and I gasped and wiped our eyes.

"Oh, I wasn't crying!" I said.

"It's just the holiday season and all," Miki said.

"People get a little emotional this time of year," Sachiko said matter-of-factly.

**3_3_3_3_3**

Miss Hanajima was right, Yuki thought. They were all in separate rooms.

If we'd kept on going, Kyo thought. If we hadn't stopped and turned around...

...we would've left them here, crying by themselves.

**3_3_3_3_3**

They both sighed and collapsed.

We rushed over.

"What's wrong? Are you alright?" I asked nervously.

"We have to watch the first sunrise," Yuki panted.

"Yeah," Kyo said, panting as well. "And I wanna have some more of those New Year's soba noodles."

They looked up at us, still trying to catch their breath.

I, for one, felt very surprised. And like crying all over again.

**3_3_3_3_3**

I'm home.

I'm home.

[_At Sohma House_]

Shigure heard greetings of "Welcome home!" all around him, and he smiled and waved in reply. He would've stopped to talk to the various family members, but he was on a mission.

"Shigure!" Momiji called happily when he ran into him in the hallway. He was all dressed to perform his dance.

"Momiji, hello," Shigure said.

"Uh, where's Yuki and Kyo?" Momiji asked, looking around, as if Yuki and Kyo might be hiding somewhere.

"They both decided...they'd rather stay home tonight," Shigure said, laughing a little. "But, I for one am looking forward to watching your dance. Wouldn't miss it for the world." And he kept on walking, trying to ignore Momiji's confused look.

He walked into Akito's room. The only light came from the open window, making the room dim instead of completely dark.

Akito was at the window, looking out on the festivities.

"Akito," Shigure said. "Yuki and Kyo...they aren't coming." He knelt on the floor.

Akito stood up a little straighter. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"Well, how should I say this...? I guess there's no point in making excuses. They skipped out."

Akito made no answer, but Shigure could sense what he was thinking. And he didn't like it.

**1_1_1_1_1**

The five of us went up on the roof to watch the first sunrise. I was closest to the ladder, then Kyo, then Miki, Yuki, and Sachiko, the guys sitting a little higher up than the girls.

Seemed we always took that pattern, but maybe it was just me.

"So, you talked to Hana?" Sachiko asked.

"We sort of...ran into her on the way," Yuki said.

I saw Kyo give him a sideways look, but I didn't ask.

"Is that right?" Miki asked.

Oh, Hana, I thought, smiling. You're going to be the first person I call this year!

"But, uh...are you sure this is okay?" I asked. "I mean, what's the rest of your family gonna think? They won't mind that you stayed here, will they? We don't want you to get in any trouble over us."

"It's no trouble," Yuki said. "We'll just go back sometime before the third and visit with everyone."

**3_3_3_3_3**

Probably, Yuki and Kyo thought, looking away from the girls.

"Oh, okay," Kiku said, turning back to look on the mist-covered valley before them.

I imagine the banquet is in full swing right about now, Yuki thought, looking out on the view as well. Even so...

I'm actually kind of glad I missed it, Kyo thought.

...I don't feel guilty for not going, Yuki thought, a small smile on his face.

It's kind of funny...

I thought I had so many important reasons for not wanting to go back...

...but, truth is...

"Hey, look, everyone!" Sachiko said, standing. "The sun's coming up!"

Miki and Kiku stood with her, and Yuki and Kyo looked out at the sky.

"Have you decided what to wish for yet?" Kiku asked.

"I've got mine all ready to go!" Miki said.

The truth of it is... Yuki thought.

...maybe all I really wanted... Kyo thought.

...was to spend New Year's together, with her...

...I mean, them.

**3_3_3_3_3**

Kyo grunted and jumped to his feet. "This year, I'm gonna beat that damn rat!"

Yuki smiled and laughed softly. "Ah, you're wishing, aren't you?" he asked.

We laughed a little, and Kyo sighed.

And so, here we are, I thought, at the start of a whole new year. It's such a beautiful sunrise. And seeing it with Miki and Saki and Kyo and Yuki- it means so much to me. I just know it's going to be a wonderful year! Even if Kyo's wish doesn't come true...


	28. Wishes, Races, and New Faces

**Ah...the chapter a certain Miss EmiShae has been waiting for. Squee! xD**

**stabbythings: Thank you so much! Some people have said they don't like it _because_ it's so similar to the anime/manga. So hearing that you like it because of its similiarity is just...awesome! :D Thank you!**

**D.W: Wow! Thanks for all the quotes! And don't worry about reviewing; it's okay! I mean, we all do have lives outside of this site! *cough* No I don't. *cough* Hmm, what? I didn't say anything. *sweatdrop* Anywhoo, thanks again! Those quotes are definitely giving me some inspiration ^.^**

**A'ight, Emi. This chapter's for you. ;D Enjoy!**

**-XXVIII. Wishes, Races, and New Faces-**

"Hey, check it out," a girl said. "That guy over there is unbelievably hot."

The two girls looked at the guy, who was looking at a large map up on a display on the sidewalk.

He was tall and slender, but muscular. He had white hair, but a black hairline was clearly visible underneath. He wore black gloves, blue jeans with black chaps over them, a black turtleneck, a white trenchcoat (fur lining around the neck), and black gloves. There were three necklaces around his neck, each of different length, and he had two silver stud earrings in each ear.

In short: He was cool. In a hot sort of way.

"You're right!" the second girl said. "I wonder what he's got going on? It looks like he's on his way to a rave or something."

"A total club kid."

"Let's go talk to him! A cool guy like that? I bet we could have some fun!"

Suddenly, the guy put riding goggles on, tugged down on his gloves, and swung his leg over to sit on a bike.

No, not a motorcycle. A bicycle. With a little bell on the handle.

The two girls stood silent, watching him go, and thinking that maybe he wasn't all that he appeared to be.

**1_1_1_1_1**

Winter break was over, and it was time to go back to school. It always amazed me how fast the time flew! We were already going into our third term of the school year.

Of course, there were things to do besides schoolwork.

Miki and I went into town one morning to get some groceries, and Kyo and Yuki agreed to come with us. Sachiko voted to stay home and get some housework done.

I commented to Miki on the way to the store that it seemed like Sachiko was feeling kind of low.

Miki reminded me that that was just her way, like Kyo's way was being angry.

"It's just that she never comes with us to go shopping or anything," I whispered (although Yuki and Kyo wouldn't have heard; they were arguing again). "Do you think she's okay?"

"Look," Miki said. "We're best friends. If something was wrong, she'd tell us. Don't worry so much," she said with a small smile.

I exhaled and smiled a little back. "Okay."

Miki and I went in the grocery store, leaving Kyo and Yuki outside by themselves.

**3_3_3_3_3**

"Wipe that smug little smirk off your face," Kyo threatened, "before I come over there and do it for you! Yeah, you'll be sorry then, won't you? And I'll make you say it!"

"I'm sorry," Yuki said calmly.

"Shut up! You're a real wise guy, you know that? !"

"At least I'm not the noisy idiot who's causing a scene in front of the store," Yuki said.

"Oh, you've done it now, girly-boy! We're taking this outside!"

Yuki sighed and rolled his eyes. "We're already outside, you stupid cat."

**3_3_3_3_3**

I tried to stifle my laughter as I listened to Kyo and Yuki arguing outside.

Miki sighed and shook her head. "I swear, wishing does them no good."

She was referring to the wish the three of us had made on New Year's. We had wished that Kyo and Yuki would get along better this coming year. But it didn't seem to be working out very well.

"Sorry we took so long," I said as we walked out.

"That's alright," Yuki said, smiling as he ignored Kyo's glare. "Find everything you needed?"

"Uh-huh," Miki said, glancing at Kyo, who looked ready to jump over and rip Yuki's head off (as usual).

In, fact, I thought as Yuki and Kyo argued again on the way home (though, this time, their arms were laden with groceries; they may have hated each other, but they still knew a thing or two about common courtesy to us girls), it seems they're getting along even worse than usual.

"Do you gotta walk so close to me? !" Kyo snapped. "I'm already pissed off enough, having to be out here with you!"

"So why did you come?" Yuki shot back.

I could've sworn that I saw Kyo glance at me, but I told myself I was seeing things.

Guess our wish didn't do much good, I thought.

"You know, you are starting to get on my nerves," Yuki said, glaring at Kyo.

"Oh, yeah?" Kyo set down the bags he was holding and raised his fists. "So why don't you try to do something about it, girly-boy-"

Yuki had grabbed some leeks out of a shopping bag, and jammed them in Kyo's mouth.

Kyo froze, and then fell over, muttering, "Leeks...!"

"Kyo!"

Miki gave me a questioning look.

I glanced away.

She smiled.

"There. That should keep him quiet for a little while." Yuki coughed a little.

Miki gave him a concerned look, but he didn't seem to notice.

I exhaled, my breath forming a little cloud around my mouth, and looked down at Kyo.

Miki looked at him as well, all three of us standing in silence for a moment.

Mik shrugged, then started off walking again. "I'm not carrying 'im."

**;;;;;**

All was pretty uneventful until that evening. Miki, Sachiko, Yuki, and I were sitting in the living room, pretending to pay attention to the TV. Kyo was sitting outside the door on the porch.

I decided to get up and see what he was doing. I'd never really liked watching TV anyway. Except with my mom.

Kyo glanced up at me as I sat down next to him. I tried to ignore the fact that he was wearing a loose tank top instead of his usual T-shirt. Easier said than done.

"You okay?" I asked.

"Yeah," he said. "Just trying to get the taste of those damn leeks out of my mouth."

I laughed a little. "Seems like it's your only weakness, huh?"

I couldn't read his expression, and I didn't get a chance to ask about it.

"Hey!" Shigure called. He slid open the door to the living room, a towel on his head. "I'm out of the tub. Who's in next? Yuki?"

Yuki sighed. "I think I'll skip it today."

Shigure cried out in disgust. "How can you stand to be so dirty? !"

"Just once, I'd like to knock him through the roof," Yuki muttered.

I tuned out the rest of the conversation, pulled my knees up to my chest, and looked out at the dark forest in front of the house.

"So why'd you come out here anyway?" Kyo asked after a few moments of silence.

"Oh, I- Uh... I just...you know, you're always off by yourself and..."

"It's cold out here. You should go inside."

I glanced at him.

He glanced at me.

We both looked away.

"Says the one in the tank top," I said. I tugged down on my sweatshirt sleeves, and I thought I heard him laugh once softly. But I could've been mistaken.

"I'm not a very sociable person either."

He looked at me.

"I used to coop myself up in my room for days at a time, only coming out for food. I guess that's the thing that I most wanted to change about myself. Because that was time I could've spent with my mom. I don't coop myself up in my room much anymore. Maybe that's because I'm living with my friends now. It's a different situation."

I exhaled. "I have the gift of empathy, Kyo. I can sense what other people are feeling. When they're upset, things like that. But lately...I've been confused. The most I can get from you, for example, is that something's on your mind."

I tilted my head, so the side of it was on my knees and I was looking at him. "My point is, that, when I had something on my mind, I had a tendency to bottle it up. Sometimes I still do. I feel that you have the same habit. I guess what I'm saying is...if you ever want to talk...about anything..."

He looked at me, surprised, then looked away.

We were silent for a few moments.

"Kiku?"

I looked at him.

"Thanks."

**3_3_3_3_3**

[_Meanwhile, inside the house_]

"What's wrong?" Miki asked Yuki. "Are you feeling okay?"

"No," Yuki said. "I think I might be coming down with a cold."

Miki gasped, not caring that the others (besides Sachiko) might think it uncharacteristic of her. "A cold? !" She rushed closer to him and put her hand on his forehead.

Sachiko was almost positive she saw a hint of pink on Yuki's cheeks.

"You _do_ have a fever," Miki said.

"Well, it's best to treat these things early," Shigure said, rifling through the medicine cabinet for cold medicine. "Take some medicine, get some rest, all that. I think I have just the thing here..."

"Maybe you should stay home from school tomorrow," Sachiko said.

"No, I'm alright. It won't have to come to that," Yuki said.

"Are you sure?" Sachiko asked. "We _are_ supposed to do our endurance run tomorrow. I'd skip that for anything."

"Oh, so they still have those?" Shigure asked. "It seems almost cruel, making you kids run around in the cold."

"It _is_ cruel," Sachiko muttered, already dreading having to get up for school the next morning. "It's torture."

**3_3_3_3_3**

"We _are_ supposed to do our endurance run tomorrow. I'd skip that for anything," I heard Sachiko say.

"Oh, yeah," I said. "That _is_ tomorrow."

Kyo jumped up and threw open the door. "An endurance run, huh?" he asked.

Didn't I just say that? I wondered.

Kyo chuckled. "A set distance...a certain time to beat. In other words, it's a race!"

"Getting awful excited, isn't he?" Sachiko mumured to me.

I shrugged.

"Alright, rat boy! Tomorrow, we're going to find out who's the fastest!"

"Kyo," Miki said. "Yuki's starting to come down with a cold."

"A cold? !" I asked worriedly.

"Kiks!" Sachiko said, grabbing my arm before I could see if Yuki had a fever. "We already went through this."

"Oh," I said, sitting back down and blushing a little.

I glanced at Kyo, and he looked away when I did. I blushed again, trying to will it away.

"So you better give him some medicine and put him to bed," Kyo said to Miki. "He's not getting out of this one." Then he went off hollering about how the race was on, and how he was going to win.

The three of us shook our heads.

Yuki coughed.

"Here, take one of these," Shigure said, handing Yuki a pill box. "All joking aside, remember, if you strain your body too much, you'll transform. Don't overdo it."

"I know," Yuki replied.

Something told me Shigure had warned him about this many times before.

**;;;;;**

"This is not a good idea," I heard Miki say as I walked into her room, toweling off my hair after getting out of the bath.

"What isn't?" I asked, sitting on her bed with Sachiko.

"Letting Yuki go to school tomorrow."

"Oh, yeah," I said.

"I think we'd all feel much better if he stayed home," Sachiko said.

"He'd get some peace and quiet from Orange-top at least," Miki said, glaring at the closed door as if she were daring Kyo to walk by just then.

"You seem awfully worried about Yuki," Sachiko commented.

"A cold can get serious," Miki said.

"Especially since he has asthma," I said.

"Oh, yeah," they said together.

Seriously, I thought, was I the only one that remembered that?

"Remember what used to happen to me when I got a cold?" Miki asked. As I've said, she had asthma, too.

We all shuddered, then laughed.

A few minutes after that, Sachiko and I went off to bed.

I had another run-in with Kyo in the hall as he was going into his room (which was one to the right of mine, if you're facing into my room).

He looked at me for a moment, then exhaled and looked at the floor. "I meant what I said."

I looked at him.

"Earlier, I mean. Thanks...for what you said. I can be...anti-social, I guess. Never thought someone in this house would get that."

I smiled a little and nodded.

He rushed into his room, almost as if he were running from something.

I laughed quietly, then went into my room.

Sure hope tomorrow goes alright, I thought, what with Yuki being sick and Kyo so intent on winning this so-called "race." Well, what could possibly happen?

**;;;;;**

The next day, our entire grade and the grade below ours (a.k.a., Sachiko's grade) were out for the endurance run.

"Why can't they do this stupid thing when it's warmer out?" Sachiko wondered, annoyed, as she zipped up her track jacket.

"Because it would make sense," I said, rubbing my arms with my hands.

Miki didn't comment, but walked over to where Yuki was tying his shoes. "Yuki, how are you feeling today?" she asked him.

He smiled at her reassuringly, then at the two of us. "Don't worry," he said. "I think I'll be able to manage." He got up and stood next to us. "Besides, if I don't do this, that stupid cat will never let me hear the end of it."

Kyo was crouched on the pavement near us, practically hissing at Yuki.

"Wow, Orange-top's in full cat-mode today," Miki whispered.

"Oh, you noticed?" Sachiko asked sarcastically.

We all looked up at the sound of the whistle.

"Alright!" our teacher called. "Girls, you're up first! Please make your way to the starting line at the gate."

"Well, gotta run," Miki said as we started to walk away.

"Good luck!" Yuki called after us.

We all turned and waved.

"Saki, don't pull out of this with a 'bum ankle', okay?" I asked.

"When have I ever done that?" she asked, as if she were hurt that I would accuse her of such a thing.

"Last year," I said. "And the year before that, and the-"

"Okay. I know what you're going to say. 'Running with friends makes it go faster.'"

"It's true," Miki said.

"On your marks! Get set!"

It's not a race, I kept reminding myself. Geez, you're starting to sound like Kyo.

That thought startled me. So much so, that I didn't start when the gun went off. Miki and Sachiko had to literally tug me away from the starting line to get me going.

"You okay?" Miki asked.

"Fine," I said. "Couldn't be better!"

They looked like they didn't believe me.

Nothing fools them, I thought.

After that, the three of us kept a steady pace, not caring how many other girls passed us.

"I think the boys are starting about now," I said as we came to a bridge.

"I hope Yuki's alright, like he said," Miki said.

"Don't worry," Sachiko said. "Everything's going to be-" She stopped and looked down a grassy hillside to our left.

We stopped, too.

"What is it?" I asked.

"There's...someone down there..." She ran off down the hill.

We shrugged and followed her.

A head of white hair came into view. An old man? I wondered.

"Excuse me," Sachiko said when we got closer.

When he looked up, I saw that he wasn't an old man. He was probably around our age!

"We're sorry, but we saw you from up there, and thought that maybe you needed help. Not that you look like you need help! I-"

Is Saki...babbling? I wondered, raising an eyebrow.

"Have you ever heard of a place called Sohma House?"

We looked at each other, then at the guy.

I wonder, I thought. His hair is unusual... White with a black hairline... Maybe-

"So, by any chance, are you a Sohma?" I asked.

"That's right," he said. "So you know it then?"

"Oh, yes," Sachiko said.

Before she could say more, the guy looked up. He crawled back up to the road, then looked in the direction we had come from. "He's coming."

We looked at each other and followed him.

He took a rope out of his coat pocket, tied one end to the guard rail, and strung it across the road.

"Um...what are you doing?" Sachiko asked.

He didn't answer, just crouched on the grass, rope in hand.

This guy seems a little...out there, I thought. Yeah, speak for yourself, Kiks.

We heard the sound of quick feet hitting the pavement a moment later. There are only two people I know who can run that fast, I thought.

Sure enough, Yuki and Kyo were getting closer. Just as Kyo was about to run by, the guy tugged on the rope, tightening it, and tripping Kyo. Kyo fell flat on his face on the asphalt.

"Got him," the guy said.

Miki stood, staring at the Kyo, her eyes wide.

"Ah! Kyo!" I rushed over to see if he was still conscious.

Sachiko, surprisingly enough, laughed. "Another one bites the dust!" she cried, laughing harder.

The guy smiled at her reaction, watching her out of the corner of his eye.

I knelt down next to Kyo. I couldn't try to lift him; I was afraid he'd transform. I put my hand on his back and started shaking him gently. "Kyo?"

He didn't move.

"Kyo, are you alright?"

Suddenly he shot up. "What was that? !" he shouted. "Dammit! I was winning and everything!"

"Well, if I hadn't tripped you, you wouldn't have stopped, now would you?" the guy asked.

"Haru?" Kyo asked in disbelief.

"By the way," the guy (Haru, I assumed) said to no one in particular, "what I just did was very dangerous. And if that had been anyone other then Kyo, he probably would've been hurt pretty badly. So don't try this at home."

Sachiko started laughing again.

"Don't try it here!" Kyo yelled. "Who are you even talking to? !"

"So now it's Haru," Yuki said quietly. "They just keep showing up, don't they?" He turned to Haru. "Shouldn't you be in school?" he asked as Haru stood up.

"Yeah..." Haru started. "Well, I left on Sunday with the intention of coming here, but I was swept away into the heart of a dark urban wilderness, and it took my three days to find my way out."

Yuki sighed. "Why don't you just say you got lost?"

"Seems very proud of himself," I said sarcastically.

"His sense of direction's as crappy as ever," Kyo said, rubbing his forehead.

I stepped in front of him, and, before he could stop me, lifted his bangs off his forehead. "You're not bleeding," I said.

He started and turned away. "Yeah...well, I could've told you that."

I smiled.

"Well, if you're gonna get lost, that's a pretty impressive way to do it," Sachiko said, standing as well.

Miki and I looked at each other, the same question written on our faces. _What's up with Saki?_ It reminded me of when Sachiko and I had been wondering what was wrong with Miki...when she was around Yuki.

Geez, is this really going to happen like this? I wondered. This is crazy. And it seems all too coincidental.

Then again, nothing in our lives has been exactly...normal lately.

I looked down the road, and noticed more students coming. "Um...do you think we should move somewhere off the road?" I asked.

"That might be wise," Yuki said. "Oh, ladies, this is Hatsuharu," he said, gesturing to Haru.

Oh, so Haru's a nickname, I thought.

"He's in your grade, Miss Fujioka." Yuki faced Haru. "Haru, these are the ladies that have been staying with us. Miss Miki Miyamoto, Miss Kiku Oshiro, and Miss Sachiko Fujioka."

"Well, ladies," Hatsuharu said, bowing, "it is a great pleasure to meet all of you."

"Oh, no, the pleasure is all ours!" Sachiko said as we bowed back.

She sounds...flustered, I thought, wondering when the last time I had heard her sound flustered was. I couldn't think of any time before when I'd heard her sound flustered.

Then I evaluated Hatsuharu. He's very polite, I thought, despite the appearance his clothing gives him. What with the boots and the gloves and the trenchcoat and all, you'd think he was with the Yakuza or something. Okay, so maybe nothing that bad, but you'd think he was into some shady dealings. Or raves or parties or something.

He seems a lot more grown-up than you'd expect from someone in middle school. Of course, I could say the same about Saki, too.

Speaking of Saki, are those stars I see in her eyes?


	29. White and Black

**So now you all know -Haru has finally made his appearance! ^.^ I loved writing him in this story. There's just so much to do with him, like with Kyo and Yuki.**

**D.W: Why didn't you get to dress up? :( That's no fun! Thanks again for the quotes! I reread all the ones you've given me a lot :)**

**stabbythings: Hahaha! Whoopsie! Sorry about the ego thing xD That's totally great -you being the Queen of Awesomeness! :D**

**EmiShae: Don't worry, my dear! It's okay! I'm just happy to hear from you ^.^ So glad you liked these chapters! And OF COURSE I dedicated that last one to you! I had to! How could I not? :D How did the auditions go, by the way? *hopeful face* Yeah, Hana would probably just look at you like, "And...you are...?" xD You ARE a good guesser! heehee Thanks so much, my loverly friend!**

**Alright, so what **_**is**_** Haru there for anyway?**

**Funny you should ask...**

**-XXIX. White and Black-**

"So what did you come here for anyway?" Kyo asked Hatsuharu.

We were now safely hidden under the bridge, out of sight of the students (or the odd passerby) above.

"To fight," Hatsuharu answered simply.

Kyo looked at him.

"I was planning on challenging you at the New Year's banquet, but you skipped out. So I've come to you." He stepped forward and grabbed Kyo's shirt in his fist. "Now let's do it."

"H-hold on a minute!" Kyo protested. "I'm right in the middle of something here, in case you hadn't noticed!"

"I've already wasted three days looking for you."

"That's your own damn fault! You're the one who got lost!"

"Forget I said it. Let's go!"

"Wait till we get home! Then I'll fight you all you want!"

"No way!"

"This doesn't look good," I said, from where the four of us were standing, leaning against a cement supporter.

"This could get ugly," Yuki said.

We looked at him.

"Hey, Kyo," he said, stepping forward a little. "Maybe you should just go ahead and do what he says before-"

But Kyo wasn't listening. "No! I said no, and I mean no! Now go away. I'm busy."

Kyo started to walk away, and I noticed something different about Hatsuharu's face -a different emotion than the one that had been there a moment before. I placed it almost immediately: pure, unadulterated rage. I had only seen it once before in the last few months. On Kyo's face.

Hatsuharu lept forward, head-butting Kyo in the back of the head.

My hands flew to my mouth, and the back of my own head started hurting. Weird, I thought, rubbing the back of my head.

Kyo fell to his knees, holding his head and grunting in pain.

"You make me sick..."

We looked at Hatsuharu in shock.

"You and your pathetic, girly whining."

"Too late," Yuki said quietly, almost to himself.

"You're not a man. You're a little kitty-cat, too scared to fight! Know what? You can go to hell!" He laughed at Kyo.

Kyo jumped up, swinging his leg at Hatsuharu's head. "You little punk! ! What's your problem? ! What did I ever do to you? !"

"That idiot," Yuki said. "He just had to go and bring out Black Haru."

"Black Haru?" Sachiko asked.

"Haru's pretty easy to get along with, but once he snaps, he's uncontrollable. That's our nickname for when he's like this- Black Haru."

"Ah," we said, looking back at the on-going fight.

I saw Sachiko smirk a little, and was utterly shocked.

"So, what you're saying is," I said to Yuki, watching Sachiko out of the corner of my eye "he's got the same sort of temper as Kagura?"

"Not at all," Yuki said.

Suddenly, Haru was in front of him, one hand on Yuki's chin and the other on the wall next to his head.

"I'm saying he's a thousand times worse."

"Yuki, comfortable?" Haru asked. "Enjoying the show? Hope so, 'cause I'm coming for you next."

"Oh, is that a fact," Yuki said dryly.

Haru grunted and turned back around. "Get up, Kyo!"

"I've been up!" Kyo shouted. "Where the hell were you?"

"I'm right here. C'mon! Fight!"

"You know," Yuki said, "this could on for hours. You ladies really don't have to stay."

"Uh- But-" Sachiko started.

Something tells me she wants to stay, I thought. Though I'm not quite certain of the reason yet.

**3_3_3_3_3**

"'Go away!' 'Leave me alone!'" Haru said mockingly.

His and Kyo's fingers were interlaced, both of them pressing against each other to try and knock the other over.

"When did you become such a pansy, huh?"

"You know, when you go Black, you're a real bastard!" Kyo shot back.

"Oh, yeah? Just for that, when I'm done with you-" Haru smirked. "-I'm gonna take your little girlfriend. Kiku," he said. "Seems to me, she's the only one of them brave enough to actually lay a hand on you. Doesn't seem like you fight her too much on it either."

"What the-? ! You're gonna what? !" Kyo asked incredulously, ignoring most of what Haru had said. Or at least pretending to.

"Oh, you know. I'm gonna do a little of this, and a little of that, and I'm definitely gonna do that!"

Huh? Kyo thought, his urge to just rip Haru's head from his body rising with every second. What is he-? This is the same little brat that used to get lost on the way to the bathroom if I didn't take him. And now he thinks he's some kinda...I don't know what. He really is a bastard when he goes Black. Who got him all worked up anyway? Okay, I guess that was me.

So why's he gotta bring Kiku into this? She's not my girlfriend! What's she got to do with anything? And what's he talking about, all this "I'll do this, I'll do that" crap? Whatever is it...he thought, glancing at Kiku, her blue-green eyes full of concern. Concern for him.

"You're sick!" he said, looking at Haru again and thinking about all the other things he'd like to say in reply to that. He pushed off of him and raised his fists. "And if it's a fight you want, you got it! Just bring it on!"

"That's more like it, coward," Haru said. "It's about time you came around!"

**3_3_3_3_3**

I wonder what they're talking about, I thought. Especially since Kyo looked over at me. That was weird.

"Ladies, this really will take a while," Yuki said. "You should head back, if you want."

"Uh, shouldn't we try to stop them?" Miki asked.

"C'mon! What's the matter? Hit me!" Haru challenged.

"What fight are you watching? You haven't landed a single punch! You hit me!" Kyo retorted.

"You got it!"

"Let's leave them alone, Miss Miyamoto," Yuki said. "It's best to let them fight it out. It's what they want. Besides..." He smiled at her, and I just had to smile. "I don't really want to be the one that stands between them. It's a little risky."

Sachiko was watching the fight with rapt attention. Well, more particularly, she was watching Haru.

What's with her? I wondered. She's totally enthralled, but I just can't believe this is the same Hatsuharu we met a few minutes ago. He seemed like such a nice person. And now this...

"You pansy!" Haru said, flinging off his coat. "What kind of girly punch is that? ! I didn't even feel it!"

It almost doesn't seem possible, I thought, that a person can just snap and change this much. Then again, I'm getting the impression that the Sohmas have a lot of people like this in their family.

Kyo landed a punch, sending Haru flying back.

Sachiko winced, watching him fall.

I put my hand over my eyes and shook my head. Ridiculous, I thought.

"Don't get cocky, you brat!" Kyo said, standing over Haru. "Compared to Yuki, you move like a turtle!"

"Heh!" Haru laughed. "So what does that make you? You still can't beat Yuki yourself, now can you, loser? ! And you did all that extra training, too."

Kyo started angrily.

"You're even worse than a turtle! You're a snail! An ameoba!"

"I am seriously going to murder you! !"

"He's not serious," Yuki said reassuringly.

"But," I said, "look at him. I've never seen Kyo fight like this."

"Yes, against Haru, Kyo does seem much stronger," Yuki said. "If you ask me, they're both a couple of fighting fools. They've been studying martial arts since they were-" He started coughing. "Since they were..."

He sighed and fell to his knees, clutching his chest and doubling over. He was still coughing, but now he was gasping, trying desperately to catch his breath.

"Yuki!" Miki cried, rushing to his side.

Kyo and Haru stopped fighting and rushed over as well.

"Is it an asthma attack?" Haru asked, putting his hands on Yuki's shoulders. "And you have a fever, don't you? You know you're not supposed to over-do it when you're sick!" He put his coat over Yuki. "Just lie here for now."

He stood and turned to Kyo. "Go call the main house, and hurry- Huh?" He looked down at Yuki, who had clasped a hand around his ankle.

Yuki looked up at Haru pleadingly, shaking his head.

Miki moved closer, putting her hands on Yuki's back.

This is bad, I thought. Really bad. He can hardly breathe! We should've made him stay home. Tied him to a chair, if we'd had to!

"You don't want the main house, do you?" Haru asked. "Kyo, you don't mind if we finish our fight later, do you?"

"Uh-uh," Kyo replied, a twinge of sadness in his voice.

"We need to get him back to Shigure's somehow," Haru said.

"Damn, I guess this means the race is over, too," Kyo said. "That really bites. I was winning."

"There'll be other races, Kyo."

He looked at me.

I gave him a strong look and shook my head.

He sighed and looked back at Haru, clearly pretending that I hadn't said anything.

Whatever, I thought. Sometimes his hate for Yuki (not to mention Yuki's hate for him) really gets on my nerves.

"I'd say we could take a cab, but it'd be a real pain if he transformed in the backseat," Haru said.

"But we have to do something," Sachiko said, stepping closer to Haru. "We'll do anything!"

Haru smirked, and I didn't like the look of it. "Okay... Maybe there is something we can do. It's lucky for me you're so cute."

"Huh?" she asked.

"I mean, if I'm going to do it, it should be with someone cute, right?"

Wow, that sounds so wrong, I thought.

Sachiko still looked confused.

Haru chuckled evilly and then wrapped his arms around her.

She stood there, frozen.

Saki never has been much of a hugger, I thought as a familiar cloud of smoke appeared.

"Hold on to the back of my neck so I don't change back." He sounded kind of embarrassed. "It'll be easier on Yuki if we carry him like this."

We all stared at him, jaws slack.

He... I thought. Haru's the cow?

**;;;;;**

Shigure chuckled as if he were going to burst out laughing any second. "So you came all the way here looking like that, did you?" he asked.

Haru reached his head up and bit Shigure's sleeve.

"It's not funny," Kyo said.

Maybe it's a little bit funny, I thought, suppressing the urge to smile. I could tell that Miki and Sachiko disagreed with Kyo as well.

Haru carried Yuki to his room, and then Shigure put him in his bed.

"There," Shigure said as he sat down on the end of Yuki's bed.

Haru was standing over him, still in cow form; Miki was standing closer to Yuki than me or Sachiko; and Kyo was standing closer to the door.

"We'll let him sleep for a while," he continued. "Looks like it was just a mild attack. He still has a slight fever, but he'll be alright."

"Thank goodness," Miki said.

"Sorry for the scare, girls," Shigure said. "But it's really okay. You can go back to school now, if you want."

"Oh, no we can't," Sachiko said.

"School is important, but there'd be no way we could focus knowing that Yuki's here sick," I said.

"I think one day won't hurt us," Miki said. "Besides, I, for one, feel a little bit responsible."

Haru looked at her.

"I should've done more to make him stay home today. His cold might not have gotten this bad."

"I'll tell you what," Shigure said, standing. "I'll go to the schools and get your things for you."

"Oh, no, that's too much!" I said. "We-"

"No, really, it's not trouble at all," he said with a smile.

We looked at each other, then back at him.

"Okay," Sachiko said.

"In the meantime," he said, turning to Kyo, "Kyo, why don't you call Hatori?"

"Huh?" Kyo asked, turning around. "Why do I gotta do it?"

"Watch yourself, though," Shigure continued. "Hatori's a bit overworked these days, so he's probably not in the best of moods. Seems practically the entire family has come down with the flu."

We were all silenced by a puff of smoke, and the three of us quickly spun around. Actually, Sachiko turned a little more slowly than me or Miki, but I didn't say anything about it.

"I'll call him," Haru said. "Where's the phone again?"

"Dammit!" Kyo said. "Put some clothes on, first!"

For the love of all that's good, _please!_ I yelled in my head.

"Well, I'm off," Shigure said, going down the stairs. "Take good care of Yuki while I'm gone. With you three wonderful girls acting as nurses, it shouldn't be a problem."

"Thank you, Shigure!" we all called.

"It's very nice of him to do this," Sachiko said.

"He can be so selfless sometimes," I said.

"Always thinking of others..." Miki said.

We looked at each other and tried to stifle our laughter. Yeah, right!

**3_3_3_3_3**

_High school girls!_ Shigure sang in his head. _High school girls! All for me! High school girls!_

He almost giggled, but managed to hold it in.

[_Downstairs_]

"Mm-hm," Haru said into the phone. "I understand... R-right."

"So what's Hatori got to say?" Kyo asked as Haru hung up.

"He sounded mad at me for some reason. Strange, huh?"

"That's what happens when you go missing for three days."

Coming from the one who was gone for four months, that was very good advice.

"So, what now?" Kyo asked, standing up. "I guess we got that damn rat taken care of. You ready to finish our fight?"

Haru sighed. "Nah...forget it."

"Ah? !" Kyo cried in disbelief.

"You have gotten a lot stronger, Kyo. I think I need more training."

"Hold it right there!"

**3_3_3_3_3**

The three of us went down the stairs to find Kyo holding Haru in a headlock.

"You think you can pick a fight and then just walk away whenever you feel like it! Huh? !"

Haru gave a muffled reply.

"Just 'cause you changed back to White Haru doesn't mean you get-"

"So..."

Kyo stopped and stood up, still holding Haru around the neck.

"You're not Black Haru anymore?" Sachiko asked.

"Uh...no," Haru said.

"I'm sorry," she continued. "It's just, you seem like a completely different person."

"How's Yuki?" he asked.

"He's still sleeping," she said. "Miki's with him now."

"Don't attack him while he's passed out, Kyo," Haru said.

"Shut up! !" Kyo shouted back. "What good does it do me if I beat him with a cheap trick like that? ! The day I knock that damn rat on his tail, it's going to be fair and square!" He grunted and headed for the front door. "Hell with it. I'm going back to school."

"At least he has some sense of fair play," Sachiko said.

I ran over to the door and put my shoes on.

"Where are you going?" Sachiko asked.

"Where else?" And I ran out the door.

I went along the trail we took every morning, and spotted him just ahead of me. I jogged to catch up.

He looked surprised to see me. "What happened to taking care of that damn rat?" he asked.

"I know that you don't care about him," I said. "Because he's basically your mortal enemy. But you're both my friends, and I can't do anything about Yuki being sick. Mostly because I don't know a single thing about helping others feel better. But you're awake and walking and talking. I can do something about how you're feeling. Or...at least try."

"So, what, you're gonna beat it into my brain?"

"Pretty much," I said.

He cracked a small smile, but it quickly disappeared.

"You're not really going back to school, are you?"

"Nah," he said. "I was really just going to change out of my gym clothes."

"And then what?" I asked.

"Dunno," he said. "Just wanted to get out of that house."

"I know the feeling," I said to myself.

Kyo either didn't hear me or pretended that he hadn't.

So we went to the school and changed into different clothes (not our uniforms), then left. I don't think either of us really knew where we were going.

Often, I wondered how things were going back at the house, but I didn't want to say anything. It finally seemed like Kyo was in a good mood, and I didn't want to wreck that.

Of course, there were other mood-killers around as well.

Walking down the street, I heard the sound of running behind us. Like some little kids, maybe.

Oh, no, I thought, remembering what had happened when Yuki and I had gone to the grocery store and the two little girls had run into him.

Without thinking, really, I grabbed Kyo's arm and pulled him out of the way. Unfortunately, in his surprise, he didn't react to catch himself. So, yes, he landed on me.

I slapped my forehead with my hand.

"What the hell was that?" he asked.

"Well," I said, covering my eyes with my hand. "When Yuki and I went to the store for New Year's, these two little girls ran into him and he transformed, so then when I heard some little kids running towards us, I tried to... Yeah...that worked out really well," I finished dryly.

"Are you okay?"

I moved my hand and looked at him, flopped over my thighs.

"I said, are you okay?"

"Y-yes," I stuttered, surprised by his question.

"Then stop worrying about it."

"O-okay." I exhaled. "Think we should head back to the house? I mean, _I_ wouldn't want to be seen walking around with the person who kept turning me into a cat."

Kyo laughed softly once. "Yeah, we probably should."

I picked him up in my arms, his clothes draped over one arm. His front paws dangled over my left arm, and his tail swished against my shoulder.

Well, this doesn't look odd, I thought sarcastically as I headed back for home. A girl walking down the street, in the cold, carrying an orange cat.

"Hey," Kyo said as I carried him down the path through the forest, the house now in sight.

"Yes?" I asked.

"It really is okay. That I transformed, I mean. So don't beat yourself up about it."

"Okay," I said quietly.

"And...you know what you said earlier, about not knowing how to help other people feel better?"

"Yes?"

"Maybe you don't with medicine, but... I think you do know."

I set him down on the front porch and looked at him.

He turned away. "What I mean is...I feel better. So...thanks or whatever."

I smiled and laughed a little. "You're welcome."

**3_3_3_3_3**

[_Meanwhile, back at the house..._]

Looking at Hatsuharu, Sachiko began to understand what Miki or Kiku must've felt when they saw Yuki or Kyo. She was actually blushing. Her heart was pounding. She never acted like this. So she figured it must've been because of Hatsuharu.

"Yuki and Kyo," Haru said. "Do they still get in fist fights every day?"

"Not really anymore," Sachiko said, walking into the kitchen. "But they argue just about every time they see each other."

"Huh," Haru said. "Well, that means they're getting along a little better, at least... It wasn't long ago that the idea would've seemed pretty hopeless. But I can tell they've both changed since then. There used to be so much tension between them, if they were in the same room, you could feel it in the air. Things seem to be much more relaxed now."

He looked at Sachiko. "It could be because you three are here."

Sachiko blushed and turned back to the sink, where she was making an ice pack for Yuki. "No, I doubt we've made that much of a difference."

"Especially that Miki," he mused. "But I can't prove that yet. I haven't been around to see what's going on. But I guess the reason isn't really important. I'm just glad to see they're doing better."

Sachiko closed up the ice pack, and they headed upstairs.

"Especially Yuki. He was my first love, after all."

She started, and nearly dropped that ice pack, but quickly regained her composure. What the heck? ! she screeched in her head.

"Nothing against Kyo," he continued as if nothing had happened. "Yuki is just very special to me. Although, when we were kids, I couldn't stand him. I hated his guts."

"Why?" she asked.

He gave her a small smile. "Because he's the Rat."

She felt a little confused.

"It's in the old story, right? How the Rat rode all the way to the banquet on the back of the Cow? I used to hate that story when I was a little kid. The Cow..." he said, taking the ice pack from Sachiko. "The Cow was a stupid fool, letting the Rat use him like that. That's what all the adults used to tell me, anyway."

Sachiko remembered how she had been called a fool when she was younger, too. Also by adults.

"I know they were probably half-joking when they said it. Still, I couldn't help but feel I was the one they were laughing at, calling stupid."

She could hear the anger in his voice, the disgust.

"And after hearing it over and over, I had so much anger towards the Rat bottled up inside that I couldn't contain it. I started losing my temper over the tiniest things."

Sounds like Kiku when she was little, Sachiko thought. And Miki now, sometimes.

"I guess that's when my Black personality first began to appear. It got to be too much for my parents to handle, so they had me take martial arts lessons, hoping it would give me a way to vent."

Haru could remember training and learning martial arts when he was a kid. He remembered training with Kyo.

_"Your form sucks."_

Kyo hadn't been very encouraging back then, either.

"It really didn't help, like they thought it would," Haru continued. He slid open the door to Yuki's room.

Miki was asleep, her head resting on her arms on the edge of his bed.

He lowered his voice. "I enjoyed the training itself, but even there, it still felt like I was getting laughed at a lot."

He glanced at Yuki. "Then one day, I happened to bump into Yuki. The truth is, up until then, I'd never even said a word to him. The only time we'd seen each other was at New Year's. But that day, seeing him sitting there, all of my anger began to swell up at once. I exploded."

_"I hate your guts! It's the Rat's fault everybody laughs at the Cow! It's the Rat's fault they call the Cow a fool, and an idiot! It's your fault! The dirty, mean, stinking Rat!"_

_Yuki was silent for a moment, and Haru panted, trying to catch his breath after his outburst._

_"Well...is it true? About you, I mean. Is it? Is that what you are?"_

_Haru looked at him._

_"Are you a fool?"_

_Suddenly, Haru felt tears stinging his eyes. "No," he said, looking at the ground. "No, I'm not." He clenched his shaking hands into fists at his sides. "I...I'm not a fool. I'm not a fool!"_

_"Mm-hmm."_

_He looked back at Yuki._

_"I didn't think so."_

"After that, I began to lose my temper less and less."

Sachiko smiled a little.

"Yuki had finally allowed me to vent the anger that had filled me up for so long. It felt as though my heart had suddenly been set free. I was completely surprised. In every possible way, Yuki was different from the person I'd imagined him to be."

Miki was now awake and listening, too, after having put the ice pack under Yuki's head.

"It's true. Until that point, it had never occured to me he could be anything other than the 'mean rat.' And to think... If I hadn't met him that day, the 'mean rat' is probably all I'd still see. Even now. Then I would really be a fool."

"That's a wonderful story," Sachiko said.

"I was surprised today, too... Seeing Yuki standing next to you-" He nodded at Miki. "-with that little smile on his face."

Miki started a little.

"That was a first for me. He never smiled like that when he lived at the main house. That's why I was thinking, maybe it's your influence -especially yours, Miki- that's helped him to soften up a bit."

"Oh, no, that can't be!" Miki protested. "I'm sure it's something else! I mean, I don't know what I could've done that would be so great! But if you look at Kiku or-"

"I'll prove it to you." Haru moved closer and whispered something in her ear. Her back stiffened and Sachiko laughed a little. He smiled at her, and she felt her heart jump into her throat.

Yuki woke up a few moments later. He looked up at them, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "Uh...Miss Miyamoto? Miss Fujioka?"

"Hi," Miki said, kneeling down next to his bed. "Welcome back."

He started and sat up. "That's right, I was- I hope I wasn't any trouble."

"No, it wasn't any trouble." She leaned foward and gently rested a hand on his knee.

He tried not to notice. "But how did I get here?"

"Hatsuharu transformed and carried you on his back," Sachiko said.

Yuki looked at Haru in surprise. "Well...thank you. It must've been quite a sight."

"No, I didn't mind at all," Haru said. "You were asleep by the time we got home. And since then, I was telling Sachiko and Miki the story about why I like you."

"What, is that the only thing you could think to talk about?" Yuki asked, sounding a little annoyed. "I hope you didn't bore them with too many details."

"She- I mean, they seemed interested."

Now where have I heard that before? Miki wondered.

"It's okay," Miki said. "It was a very nice story...Prince Yuki."

Sachiko looked at her, eyes wide.

"Well, don't pay any attention to Haru. He-" Then Yuki, suddenly realizing what Miki had called him, gasped. He blushed like crazy, and then burst into a puff of smoke, his little rat form landing on the bed.

Miki clapped her hand over her mouth, and Sachiko stifled her laughter.

"See? It doesn't work at all when I say it!" Miki cried.

Haru just smiled at her.

"You asked her to do that, didn't you?" Sachiko asked Haru as they went back downstairs.

He shrugged. "I thought it might cheer him up a little."

"I think it did," she said with a smile.

"So, tell me."

She looked at him.

"What's the story with Kiku?"

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I mean with Kyo."

"Oh," she said. "There's really nothing to tell. She's just the only one that runs after him when he runs off, or goes to find him when he's sulking..."

"That says a lot," he said. "It seems to me Kyo's softened up a little, too. You three may not notice it, since you haven't known him as long. But that comment I made about attacking Yuki while he was asleep? Normally, that would've earned me a punch in the face. Instead, he just yelled at me. It seems he's toning it down a little."

"And you think that something that's doing that to him is Kiku?" she asked.

He smiled a little. "Like I said before, I haven't been around long enough to see what's going on here. Maybe she is, and maybe she isn't."

She smiled a little and shook her head. "You fascinate me strangely, Hatsuharu." Did I just say that out loud? she wondered.

He smiled. "My friends get to call me Haru. And you fascinate me as well, Sachiko."

She blushed a little. "My friends call me Saki."

They were silent for a few moments.

"You know what you were saying, about how all the adults called you a fool?"

He looked at her.

"They used to call me that, too. Not my parents, because they knew how I was. But the kids called me dumb and an idiot."

"Why?" he asked.

"Because...I got into so many fights. Then I made friends with two girls who are a year older than me who also got into a lot of fights."

"You three? Got into fights?" he asked in disbelief.

**3_3_3_3_3**

I took off my shoes and we went inside, Kyo trotting along ahead of me.

Haru, Shigure, Sachiko, and Miki looked at the two of us strangely.

"Don't any of you say a word," Kyo hissed.

Then I noticed Miki holding something. Or someone.

"Is that-?"

"Yes, and it wasn't my fault!" Miki cried. "His body was under too much stress and he transformed, okay? !"

I laughed softly. "Okay, I believe you." I followed Kyo up the stairs to his room. "Kyo?"

He stopped and turned to look at me as I laid his clothes on his bed.

"Thank you. For what you said. It really means a lot to me."

He looked after me as I left and shut the door.

I stood just outside the door, smiling to myself.

A few seconds later, I heard a familliar poof, and went back downstairs. Yuki was now gone, so I figured he'd changed back, too.

I looked at Sachiko. Do I see sparks flying? I wondered. The good kind? Between her and Haru?

So, with just a few bumps along the road, everyone managed to survive the endurance run. We may not have finished it, but it definitely took endurance to run with the Sohmas!


	30. Love and Chocolate

**CHAPTER 30 OMIGOSH! *throws confetti* Yayyyy! Thanks to everyone who's been reading and reviewing. This story holds a special place in my heart, and it means a lot that people are liking it and encouraging me to continue posting it.**

**D.W: ZOMG a banner? Really? :D That's so cool! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Hmm, favorite band? Hrm... I have a lot xD I'd have to say that one very near the top of the list is Paramore. *nods* Yeah, let's go with that. I could go on a whole long rant about all the different bands I like, but, yeah xD All because your hat was "ugly"? :O That's mega-stupid -.-' Maybe next year! Anyway, thank you so much! :D And I love your quotes xD**

**EmiShae: AHHHH thank you, my dear friend! :D Of course Haru snapped -it's what he does best! xD YES MOMENTS! YES THEIR OWN PATH! *silly smile* *wondering why she put that in all caps* heehee You hit that nail right on the head, excellent job! ^.^ Omigosh, I know! I love that episode SO much XD Thank you so much, my friend! :D**

**Maddie: Thanks a lot for reading! And for leaving me a review :) It means a lot.**

**Alright, so let's get on to the next big event, shall we? Oh, quick note about the chapter title: It's a play on the title of this werewolf movie my friends and I watched -**_**Blood and Chocolate**_**. A pretty decent movie, in my opinion. Except now I can't wear cargo pants, sneakers, and a hoodie without feeling like the main character in that movie. Except she was a ninja and could jump off walls and stuff.**

**Another quick note: You'll notice there's a whole segment in here that didn't happen in the anime. Well, it's based off what happened after Kagura left the house in the manga. I threw in my own stuff, of course. As usual.**

**Anywhoo...**

**Let's move on to the story!**

**-XXX. Love and Chocolate-**

I opened Yuki's locker and looked inside. "What the-? There's only one," I said, taking out a bag of chocolate.

"Weird," Miki said. "I thought sure Yuki's locker would've been the best place to try."

"Try for what, exactly?" Yuki asked, sounding very confused.

"You know," I said, "that thing in the cartoons. When you open the door and all the stuff comes pouring out?"

He gave me a look that read, "So why do you think that would happen here?"

"Ah, now I get it," Miki said. "The girls who visited this locker were cuckoo chicks."

"Cuckoo?" Yuki and I asked.

"As in crazy?" I asked.

Miki smirked. "Kinda. Like the cuckoo chick pushes other birds' eggs out of the nest, these girls threw out any chocolates that were already here to ensure that their chocolates would get more attention. The proof is in that garbage can over there."

The garbage can she pointed to was indeed full of chocolates.

Yuki looked slightly...afraid. I would've been, too.

"Gah, they messed up our locker trick," I said.

"And I am the hawk who swoops down to catch the eggs pushed from the nest," Miki said, putting a hand dramatically to her head.

"Alright," I said. "You go, girl."

We high-fived.

"Unless, of course, you want it, Yuki?" Miki asked.

"No, that's alright," Yuki said tiredly, as if just thinking about all of this exhausted him.

I can already tell, I thought with a smile. It's going to be an interesting Valentine's Day!

The three of us made our way toward to our classroom's hallway, and that's when Kyo came along.

He looked at us, but glared at Yuki.

They glared at each other for a few moments.

Then Kyo walked over and punched the wall next to Yuki.

Yuki didn't even flinch, but we sure did. At the very least, I did.

"Uh, Kyo?" I asked nervously.

He pulled his hand back and kept on walking.

"He's been itching for a fight all morning," Miki said.

"No kidding," I said.

I didn't follow him. We had to be in class in a few minutes, and I figured it best to give him some time alone.

**;;;;;**

The first thing we saw when we sat down were the Prince Yuki Fan Club girls. They looked even scarier than they usually did, what with their evil-looking grins and determined glints in their eyes.

"Lovely Prince Yuki..."

"Lovely chocolates..."

"Chocolates for Prince Yuki..."

"Dang, those fan club girls look scary today," Miki said.

"Yeah, they're either about to mug him or eat him, I can't tell which," I said.

We both laughed.

Miki, Sachiko and I had figured that Valentine's was a stressful day for members of the Zodiac, what with so many girls trying to give them presents and candy and all. It was a day when they had to be extra careful, which wasn't something that any of the Sohmas seemed to like doing. Except maybe Hatori.

Not so for us. The stressful part, I mean. The three of us had already downed a big box of peanut butter cups that morning, in case you're wondering. Yeah, not exactly a nutricious breakfast, but it was a special day.

"Kyo-Kyo..."

We looked over to see a girl holding out a present for Kyo.

"Here, I got you some chocolates."

"Kyo's got an admirer," I sang.

"How about that?" Miki asked. "Kyo-Kyo's a stud." She winked and elbowed me in the arm.

I blushed a little, rolled my eyes, and pushed her off.

Kyo looked at the girl, fear suddenly filling his eyes. "Wait...is today...Valentine's? !" He quickly stood. "I'm going home!"

"Home?" the girl asked.

"No, wait. Home's dangerous, too."

Miki and I looked at him curiously.

Yuki looked at him boredly.

"A journey... Yeah, I'll just...go far away where no one will find me!" And with that, he tore out of the room.

The three of us went to the window to see where he was going. (Yuki didn't look all that interested, but he followed us anyway.)

He ran down the front path toward the gate, but screeched to a stop before he reached it.

We all strained to see, and saw that a certain someone had come back for Valentine's Day.

If only Saki were here, I thought. She needs her theme music!

**3_3_3_3_3**

"K-Kyo?" she stuttered, as if in disbelief that he was actually standing in front of her.

Kyo tried to turn and run, but it was like he was moving in slow-motion. He couldn't get away fast enough.

"Kyo!" She went after him. "Kyo! MY LOVE!" she shouted.

"Aw, hell! She's here!" Kyo yelled as she ran after him.

**3_3_3_3_3**

"Why do I get the feeling Orange-top's not happy to see Kagura?" Miki asked dryly.

"He's not," Yuki said in the same tone.

I smiled at how similiar they really were when you got down to it.

**;;;;;**

Kagura followed us home from school, despite Kyo's efforts to lose her. It wasn't like she didn't know where he (we) lived. That was a scary enough thought in and of itself, even without her following us.

"I came for Valentine's, silly," she said when we were back at the house, seated around the table. "It's an important day for lovers to be together!"

"You're not gonna find any lover in this house," Kyo muttered.

I stifled my laughter.

"Kyo, behave please," Shigure said. "I don't want the house getting, you know, smashed."

Very good chance of that happening with Kagura's around, I thought.

"Saki."

She looked at me.

"You can cue the theme music now."

She grinned and did her "Beethoven's 5th," and the three of us laughed quietly.

"Dammit!" Kyo said. "I should've left on that journey sooner. How was I supposed to know today was Valentine's?"

"It's called a calendar," Yuki said in a "duh" tone. It sounded very much like he wanted to add the word "idiot" onto the end of the sentence. (He used that tone a lot when Kyo was around.)

"So," Shigure said, looking at Kagura, "did you give him chocolates?"

"Well...I tried," she said meekly. "But for some reason, he wouldn't take them from me. Watch."

She pulled a big chocolate heart out of her bag. "Happy Valentine's Day, Kyo!" she cried happily. "A chocolate heart stuffed full of my love! All for you!"

"Keep it!" Kyo shot back, standing. "What man in his right mind would eat that girly, sugary crap? !"

We looked at him.

"I'm sorry, but...do you... Do you really not like chocolate, Kyo?" I asked.

"No! I hate it!"

Kagura jumped up in his face. "Shut up and eat it!" she threatened. "Did you hear me? ! I said eat, damn you!"

"No means no, woman!"

"Eat it!"

"No!"

"Eat!"

"Never!"

"EAT IT!"

"You'll have to kill me first!"

Shigure looked at the three of us as Kyo and Kagura's fight went on. "Excuse me, girls, but that wouldn't happen to be a bag of chocolates you're hiding down there?"

Kagura and Kyo froze, Kagura trying to shove her chocolate heart into Kyo's mouth.

"Oh, um, yes," Miki said, setting the bag that had been sitting in front of us on the table. "We got chocolates for everyone."

"But I guess we should've asked if everyone liked chocolates first." I glanced at Kyo. "You know, silly us," I said, tapping my fist to the side of my head.

Kyo stayed on the floor on his stomach, a slight tinge of pink on his cheeks.

"Ladies?"

We looked at Yuki.

"I would love some chocolate."

Miki smiled widely and produced a box for him. "This one's yours."

"Thank you very much," Yuki replied, smiling.

"And one for Shigure," Sachiko said, handing it to him.

"Oh, for me?"

"They did say everyone, didn't they?" Yuki asked.

We shrugged.

"It's not much, but thanks for everything you've done for us," I said.

"Oh, no, no," Shigure said. "I should be the one thanking you girls. Still, I'm touched! The girls' Valentine's chocolates- how they warm the heart and lift the soul!"

We rolled our eyes, and Yuki laughed softly.

"Oh, and Kagura," I said, digging through the bag. "There's one for you, too." Think of it as a peace offering, I thought.

She gasped and jumped up. "One for me?" she cried in happy disbelief. She threw her arms around me. "Thank you!"

"And there's some for Momiji and Hatori and Haru," Sachiko said, setting them out on the table. "We didn't know if we'd see them today, but if there were some way we could get them to them..."

"You really _did_ mean everyone, didn't you?" Yuki asked incredulously.

"Well, they were so cute," I said.

"And we had so much fun wrapping them," Sachiko said.

"I guess we got a little carried away," Miki said, chuckling.

I glanced at Kyo again. "But I guess we should've asked to see if they even like chocolate..."

"Oh, don't let what Kyo said bother you," Shigure said. "He thinks he's being manly, but, really, he doesn't have a clue what true manliness is. A real man would've eaten the chocolates with all of this fuss."

"Shut up..." I heard Kyo mutter.

"To refuse a gift," Shigure continued, "to trample on another person's heart like that... It falls short of being a human being, let alone a man."

"Uh...no, really," I said. "We should've known to get something besides chocolate. Maybe fist crackers or thunder rice cakes... Something more masculine-sounding that he would've liked."

"Those do sound delicious as well..." Shigure said in an "Uh, I guess" way.

Kyo grunted and we all looked at him. "Fine," he said. "I just gotta eat it?" He stood and grabbed Kagura's chocolate heart. "So, I'll eat it!" He started downing that thing like his life depended on it.

"Good-ee!" Kagura cheered, a huge smile on her face. "Look! Kyo's eating my chocolate!"

We shook our heads.

"Um, are you alright?" Sachiko asked Kyo.

When Kyo was done devouring the heart, he held his hand out to me.

I looked at the chocolate around his mouth, and the little blush on his cheeks, and smiled. I shook my head slightly, then put a box of chocolate in his hand. Then I pointed to the side of my mouth and wiped with my sleeve.

Realizing what I meant, he wiped the chocolate from around his mouth with the back of his hand.

All I did in reply was smile.

**;;;;;**

Kagura left before dinner that evening. Shigure went with her back to the main house to deliver our chocolates.

"Kagura's quite observant, isn't she?" Sachiko asked as we were cooking dinner.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well, Orange-top basically ate her chocolate to get the chocolates _you_ gave him," Miki said, bumping my hip with her hip.

I bumped her back, and tried to laugh it off, even though I was blushing. I turned back to the pot I was stirring. "No, I really don't think-"

"It's true," Sachiko sang.

"Yeah," I said, shaking my head a little. "Maybe."

**3_3_3_3_3**

"Don't worry," Kagura said to Kyo, standing out on the porch, holding one of his hands in both of hers. "I'll see you soon."

Kyo snatched his hand back. "Who's worried?" he snapped.

She smiled at him. "You know, Haru said that you and Yuki are starting to get along a little better. He said, if you two keep getting to know each other, you might actually become friends one day."

Kyo stared at her in shock.

She smiled and looked at the ground. "I would be very happy...if that came true."

He couldn't think of a comeback for that one.

She smiled and him again and laughed a little. "Bye-bye!"

Kyo stood there for a moment, staring at the space where she had been. Me and that damn rat? he thought. Friends? Like hell we would be!

**3_3_3_3_3**

"Ah, Haru..." Shigure mused. "He is certainly wise beyond his years. People must learn to compromise."

What's he talking about? I wondered. And what's Shigure still doing here? Maybe he's just going to catch up with Kagura... I hid behind a divider, barely peeking out, listening.

Kyo was silent for a moment, staring outside the door. "What are you trying to say?" he asked, not looking at Shigure. "Don't even think that we're gonna be best friends just 'cause you guys have some dumb ideas."

He laughed once, no humor in the sound, turning to look at Shigure. "'Get to know each other'? What a load of crap! It sucks hanging out with him all the time! I hate Yuki!" He was shouting now. "And I _like_ hating him!"

Silence for a moment.

Shigure smiled a little. "I wonder why? You say it like you're obligated to hate him."

Kyo glanced at him, then looked away.

"But your eyes...your eyes tell a different story. They tell me...that you're afraid to find out."

Fear and shock filled Kyo's eyes. He started, staring at Shigure. Then he clenched his hands into fists at his sides, and ran out of the house.

"Kyo? !"

He was gone.

"Kyo!" I ran after him.

**3_3_3_3_3**

"What are you talking about?" Yuki asked Shigure annoyedly.

"Oh, you're here," Shigure said, surprised. He smiled a little. "Nothing. I was just irritated. Maybe I pushed a little too hard."

Miki and Sachiko exchanged wondering and worried glances. They knew that Kiku cared about Kyo, and they knew that they all cared about all the Sohmas, but...what, exactly, were they getting into? There were still so many things they didn't know.

Did Kyo really feel like he _had_ to hate Yuki? And why, as Shigure had put it, was he afraid to find out what would happen if he didn't have to hate him?

Sachiko looked down into the pot Kiku had been stirring a moment ago. I wonder, she thought, if we're getting in over our heads.

**3_3_3_3_3**

I zipped up my all-too-thin jacket against the February wind. The sharp gusts stung my face, it was so cold. I shivered and folded my arms over my chest as I walked further into the forest.

"Kyo?" I called, not raising my voice to its highest volume. "Where are you?" I wondered to myself.

He couldn't have gone far, I thought. No one runs that fast. Well, no one except Saki.

But Kyo... He really did look scared. I wonder why what Shigure said made him look so afraid.

_"And I_ like_ hating him!_"

I don't understand it. I don't understand it at all.

I stopped when I spotted a clearing...and a figure wearing a black sweatshirt crouching down in that clearing.

I walked closer, dead leaves rustling beneath my sneakers. I stopped just behind him.

His arms were wrapped around himself, his knuckles white. It was as if he was holding onto something... Holding onto his sanity? Himself?

"Kyo?" I asked quietly.

Silence. He didn't look up at me. He didn't move a muscle. I couldn't have even been sure if he was breathing or not, except for the small clouds of breath floating up above his head.

It's as if the act of hating, I thought, is a way of protecting something. But what? Himself? These kinds of answers must be hidden away so deep...that he'll have to figure them out for himself.

"Forget it."

I started and looked at him as he spoke.

"What happened back there... Just forget it. It has nothing to do with you. Leave me alone, alright?"

This reminds me of Kyo's first day of school, I thought.

_"Who do you think you are? ! This is between me and him! It's got nothing to do with you! You stupid little girl! From now on, just stay the hell away from me!"_

Well, I went away then, I thought. But I'm not going to go away now.

I knelt down next to him, trying to see his face. But his forehead was almost touching his knees, and I could only see his hair.

No matter what I say, I won't be able to fix it. I may not even be able to cheer him up, but...

I took a deep breath. "You... You don't have to like each other," I said. "You don't have to get along. It's okay. I really did think that I wanted you two to get along, but...but it's okay. Even if you hate him..."

If it will ease your fears...

"...it's okay."

He raised his head a little, and he looked like he was remembering something.

**3_3_3_3_3**

_"Yep, I can see it. I can see it very clearly, Kyo. You don't know it, but you have a great, big plum on your back. Yuki's admirable in his way, and you're admirable in yours."_

He could remember her words so clearly. In truth, he had never wholly forgotten them.

Why am I remembering this now? he wondered. Because she's here, trying to make me feel better?

He sat up, but didn't look at Kiku.

I don't want to see, he thought. I don't want to think about it. ...Not yet.

**3_3_3_3_3**

Now he was sitting up, but he was still looking down. His cheeks flushed, and I wondered if it was because of the cold, or because of what he was thinking about.

He closed his eyes and nodded a little. "Yeah..." He bent his head again. "Yeah."

Kyo's heart is so delicate, I thought, like Yuki's. It's as though it will break if I touch it. I don't want that to happen. I want to help, but I don't want to cause more pain than there was before I came along.

How do I know where that line of division is? I wondered. The line between help and hindrance?

But they hold onto all their suffering, pain, and anxiety...just like I used to. Maybe I still do, sometimes, except now it's all muddled in with everyone else's.

I gently, hesitantly put my hand on Kyo's shoulder.

He looked up at me. I could see surprise in his eyes, but I saw something else, too. Memories...the past...longing and fear... All of it rolled into one confused, almost grateful expression.

I tried to show him that I understood, that I wanted to understand, at least. I like to think that he understood what was going on behind my eyes as well.

I hope, someday, I can help to wipe that all away, just like they did for us. Because...I just want them to be happy.

I guess you could say that was my one wish for everyone I ever came across, and even people I didn't know. I just wanted them to be happy.

Kyo looked at me for another long moment, then hung his head and stood up. He stood there for a moment, hands in his pockets, looking off into the forest.

I looked up at him, another frozen breeze blowing past us. I just want you to be happy, I thought again.

Kyo exhaled, then looked down at me. He took one hand out of his pocket and extended it down to me.

I looked at it for a moment, surprised, then took it, standing from the cold, dead grass.

His hand was warm from being in his pocket, and it made me shiver to feel his skin on mind. If only for a moment.

He released my hand, and we started back toward the house.

I hugged myself, shivering slightly. Who knew February could be so cold? I thought.

I looked up when I heard a zipper unzipping. To my utter shock, Kyo took of his sweater and put it around my shoulders. I looked at it, then looked at him.

He put his hands back in his pockets, not looking at me. I thought I saw a tint of pink on his cheeks again, but it was probably just my imagination.

"You... You won't be too cold?" I asked quietly. (He was just wearing a tank top now, if you're wondering why I asked him that.)

He shook his head.

I looked down at the sweater again, and smiled a little. "Thank you, Kyo."

He glanced at me, then looked away again. "Yeah..." He exhaled. "Thanks...Kiku."

**3_3_3_3_3**

_As long as you're happy..._

**3_3_3_3_3**

I smiled at him. I do believe that he really is a good person, I thought. I just need to train him on how to show a different side of him than just "lit fuse."

I reached a hand out from under Kyo's sweatshirt and put it on his arm. He looked at me in surprise as I gently tugged his hand out of his pocket and took his hand in mine.

I could again feel how cold my perpetually-cold hand was against his warm one. I squeezed his hand gently and smiled at him. "I'm your friend, Kyo. Please remember that."

As a reply, he loosely closed his free hand into a fist and tapped it against my head. I thought I saw a little smile on his face, too.

**;;;;;**

"Welcome home," Shigure said when we walked through the door. He took in Kyo's sweatshirt over my shoulders, Kyo's tank top, and our flushed cheeks (which I had decided was courtesy of the cold...not to mention the tension that had been between us only a few minutes before). He smirked and looked at Kyo. "You didn't do anything..._untoward_ to our dear Kiku, did you?"

"Of course not! !" Kyo shouted, glaring at Shigure. "I'm not like YOU!"

I laughed. It's like nothing even happened between them, I thought. Good.

Kyo and Yuki don't have to like each other. If they like hating each other, that's fine with me. Maybe, over time, that can change. Maybe Miki, Saki, and I could try to help that change to happen. If the change is gradual enough, they won't even notice it, and won't resist it.

I hope against all hope...that that will happen. Someday. Someday...

**3_3_3_3_3**

Kagura and Shigure went to Hatori's house first when they went to deliver chocolates.

Shigure knocked on the door.

Hatori slid it open.

"Hari!" Shigure sang. "I brought you some Valentine's chocolates!"

Hatori slammed the door shut.

Shigure slid it back open slightly. "Don't hate me," he pleaded, crying. "I was kidding! They're from the girls. Can I come in?"

"Idiot," Hatori muttered.

"We brought chocolates for everyone!" Kagura sang.


	31. Thinking of Others

**Wow, okay, now that those assingments and Thanksgiving are over, let's get on with the story, shall we? Thank you everyone, for your reviews! :D**

**elenaequalslight: Aw! Thank you so much! :3 I love writing those moments, so I'm glad you liked it ^.^ Thank you, thank you, thank you! :D**

**Maddie: Thank you so much for all your reviews! :D I'm glad you're liking the story so much! It means a lot :) Oh, you listened to the song? YAY! It's one of my favorite songs :) I noticed after I started writing about the somewhat name-matching-ness, too xD HA! Yeah, I guess Kiku does flirt a little... XD The towel thing made me laugh SO HARD XD Heh, Akito is a "he" in this hahaha Yeah, Tohru's nice-ness can sometimes make her...flat. Sometimes it just seems like she has no dynamic, you know? I like her and all, but, yeah... haha**

**D.W: OMIGOSH IT'S SO FLIPPING AWESOME! :D Thank youuuuu! It's amazing, I love it! Yay for more quotes! :D You're so nice, THANK YOU! :D**

**Mila of the Seven Senses: Yay another crazy person! :D Thank you so much for reviewing! I'm glad you like the story! ^.^**

**Okay, so how was everyone's Thanksgiving break? I, myself, had laryngitis. -.- Not fun. Especially on your 18th birthday xP Anyway, it was still fun. I got to see **_**HP7**_**, see my family, eat lots of good food, and do LOTS of shopping ^.^**

**Here's Chapter 31! Sorry for the long wait, everyone! Enjoy! :)**

**-XXXI. Thinking of Others-**

And, just like that, Valentine's Day came and went. Actually, so did the whole next month! And before we knew it, we'd finished our final exams!

We were especially excited about finishing these final exams. Not only because it felt good to get it all done, but because the new school year would bring Sachiko to our school! Then it'd really be a party, trust me.

"Well, ladies, how did it go?" Yuki asked.

"Great!" Miki said. "I knew a lot more of the answers than I thought I did."

"Me too," I said. "I think we owe it to you, though, for helping us study. Thank you."

He smiled at us. "Oh, I... I don't know about that..."

**3_3_3_3_3**

The fan club girls groaned.

"The Prince is smiling!"

"He never smiles like that!"

"What's he talking about?"

"I have to know!"

Miki turned her head and gave them a look.

"But with tough-girl over there, I'm too scared to get any closer!"

As well you should be, Miki thought.

**3_3_3_3_3**

Some of the guys thought that Hana had aced her tests, since she was psychic, but she told them that she must've been dumber than her powers made up for. That she had to take remedial lessons. And that her parents cried for days.

This was followed by several moments of stunned, awkward, unsure silence. Of course.

"Don't get too down on yourself," Uo said.

"Yeah," Miki said. "I'll bet there's an even bigger dummy around here somewhere."

"Hey!"

We all looked at Kyo.

"You sure as hell better not be talking about me."

"What? Who else would she be talking about?" Uo asked.

"Oh, yeah? ! Well no one's ever had to call my parents to tell 'em my grades sucked!" Kyo snapped.

"Aw, does Kyo-Kyo study like a good little boy?" one of the guys asked.

"Don't call me Kyo-Kyo!"

"Please," Miki said. "You couldn't study to save your life."

"You are so full of it!" Kyo cried.

"Uh-huh. Let me guess, you're the kinda guy who crams at the last minute. Then you get to school and freak out 'cause you studied for the wrong test."

"Okay, that does it...!"

"He _has_ been shutting himself up in his room," I said. "Maybe he really _has_ been studying."

"So it would seem," Yuki said, clearly not believing that Kyo had actually studied.

It's nice to think about him working quietly at his desk, I thought.

Then I looked at him and Miki, still arguing.

"Out in the hall, right now!"

"I'll grind you into dust, Orange-top!"

Then again, when it comes down to it, I guess Kyo's the kind of person who needs a little bit more excitement in his day.

"Uh, Miss Oshiro? Miss Miyamoto?" our teacher asked. "A word please?"

We looked up.

"Y-yes, sir." It was clear Miki was nervous, since she'd nearly gotten into a fight just then. She may have been a proud trouble-maker, but she never wanted to risk detention, suspension, or expulsion. No, we'd risked all that in middle school. We were too old for that crap.

Well, unless there was a good enough cause.

**;;;;;**

Yuki and Kyo looked at us curiously as we talked to the teacher.

The teacher made it short and sweet, as did we, telling him that we would fix it as quickly as possible. He told me to stop apologizing, told Miki not to get into a fight with any of the boys, and to get back to class. He was kind of laughing about it all. So that put us a little more at ease.

"Is something wrong?" Yuki asked when we came back in.

"Uh...no...not at all," I said.

"We just...have to work hard!" Miki said.

"Part-time job, here we come!"

They looked at us like we were insane. Of course.

**;;;;;**

Miki, Sachiko, and I worked extra hard at work that night.

"Good to have you girls back," one of our superiors said. "So you've all finished with your exams?"

"Yep!" I said. "And from now on, we'd like to work as much as possible."

"Just tell us what to do!" Sachiko said.

Another lady walked up to the first, and the two of them smiled at each other as we went on working. "Such nice girls."

**;;;;;**

I don't know how we're going to keep this pace up, I thought as we were walking home. It's insane! But we have to, since-

"Kiku! Miki! Sachiko!"

"Ah!" we yelped and jumped. "Momiji!"

What is he doing here at Shigure's? I wondered.

"I just got here, too!" He grabbed Sachiko's hand. "Come on, come on! This way! This way!"

"Where does that boy get all of his energy?" Shigure wondered aloud.

"This is my first time to Shigure's house. Isn't it exciting? !"

Yuki looked up as we walked in.

"Hello there!" Momiji said.

"Hey, we're home from work," Miki said.

"Welcome back," Yuki said with a smile.

"Great," Kyo said, standing in the doorway and drying his hair with a towel. "The annoying little brat's here."

"Ah, someone just got out of the bath!" Momiji said. "Kyo!"

Kyo grabbed Momiji and started digging his fist into the side of his head. "I swear! It bugs me every time you open your mouth!"

"Wahhhh!" Momiji cried. "Kyo's picking on meeee!"

"Momiji, we got you a snack, if you're hungry," I said.

He smiled widely. "Oh, I am! Thank you!"

"You see? !" Kyo said, pulling Momiji back into his grip. "Like I said! Everytime!"

"Waaahhhh!"

"Kyo..." I said quietly.

So we sat down at the table, Momiji eating his snack. All I felt ready to do was pass out after our long shift at work, but I figured that would be impolite when there was a guest over...

"Momiji?" Shigure asked as Momiji finished swallowing a bite. "Have you told us to what we owe the pleasure of your company this evening?"

"Mm-mm," Momiji said, shaking his head. "Not yet." He turned to us. "I have a question for you three!"

"Okay," Miki said.

"What's tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow..." I mused.

"March 14th, right?" Sachiko asked.

"Yep!" Momiji said. "It's White Day! And I'm giving you a present! It's a trip to a hot spring!"

We smiled nervously.

"I call it, 'Me and Sachiko and Miki and Kiku's Super-Relaxing Hot Spring Steam Trip'!"

"You really don't have to name it," Shigure said, smiling, a little unsure.

"A hot spring?" Yuki asked. "Which one?"

"Oh, you know," Momiji said. "There's that one the Sohma's run."

"Oh, yes," Yuki said.

"Um."

They looked at us.

"We don't know," Miki said. "An invitation to an expensive-sounding place like a hot spring?"

"It really is too much," I said.

"You know, girls," Shigure said. "It's just a hot spring. He's not flying you off to Paris or anything. It would be a real shame to turn it down. You should go. It'll be a good chance to get away from it all, relax."

"I'm sorry," Momiji said. "I thought you'd be happy to go..."

"Oh, no, we are," Sachiko assured him.

We looked at each other, smiled a little and shrugged.

"We'd love to go, Momiji," I said.

"Yay!" he cheered. "Yuki and Kyo are coming too!"

"Hey!" Kyo said. "Why don't you try asking before you start making plans for people?"

"Aw!" Momiji cried, tugging on Kyo's shirt. "Go with us! Go with us!"

"Forget it! And whining like that isn't gonna change my mind!"

"Yuki..." Momiji said carefully. "Will you come?"

Yuki smiled at him. "Of course. I wouldn't miss it."

"Yay! Yay!" Momiji cheered again.

"Okay, now I really don't wanna go," Kyo said.

I pressed my lips together, hiding my smile.

"Why not?" Momiji asked. "You don't have to worry about money. I've been saving my allowance!"

Must get a pretty big allowance, I thought.

"That's not the problem," Kyo grumbled.

Shigure suddenly looked up, as if he'd just rememberd something. "Oh, speaking of money... Girls?"

We looked at him.

"I hear you still haven't paid last months dues toward your class field trip fund."

All our backs stiffened.

"I got a call from your grandfather, Kiku. Seems someone at the school called him about it. He said he'd pay for you all, if you need it."

"No, no, no!" I cried. "We can't ask him to do that!"

"It would be too much trouble!" Sachiko said.

"He can't!" Miki said.

"Last month, there was just a lot going on," I said. "But we can catch up with the money we earn this month."

"We're sorry you had to hear about it," Sachiko said.

"We already explained to our teachers," Miki said.

"But, girls," Shigure said. "You worked a pretty fair amount last month. Wha-"

**3_3_3_3_3**

They froze. They bought all of that Valentine's chocolate, the three of them thought together.

**3_3_3_3_3**

"So you're going on a class trip?" Momiji asked.

"Oh, we don't know," I said.

"Wha-? !" Kyo cried, jumping up in front of us.

We sat staring at him, waiting for him to explode.

He didn't continue, and his face started turning from bright red to its usual color. It was as if I could see a giant meter next to him, going down from 10 to 1, very slowly. Self-control, I thought.

He pointed to the door, speaking stiffly. "Water. Hot bath. You go."

"What? All three of us? At once?" Sachiko asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Just go!" Kyo said, his cheeks flushing red again.

"Alright, we're going!" Miki said. "Yeesh."

Weird, I thought.

We shrugged at each other, then figured out the order we would go in. Sachiko went first, and Miki and I went upstairs to our rooms to wait.

**3_3_3_3_3**

"Impressive," Shigure said to Kyo. "You're learning self-control. But at any rate... Chocolate doesn't exactly fall from the sky. The girls had to have paid for it out of their own pockets."

"So how is it we didn't realize that at the time?" Yuki asked.

Kyo banged his fist against the table. "It's 'cause she- they were so damn happy about it! How could we know they were broke? They didn't have to get that stuff for us!"

Momiji just sat silently, quietly chewing on his snack.

"But, hey, they thought it'd be fun to spend all their money! They could've bought themselves new clothes or paid for their class trip, or somethin'! Talk about stupid! I mean, what were they thinking? ! All they're doing is making things hard on themselves!"

"Oh, hey, you know what? There's this kid in my class who reads a lot."

They all looked at Momiji, who was smiling like Kyo hadn't just gone on a rant about the girls.

"Huh?" Kyo asked.

"Yeah, so, he just got this new book and he brought it with him yesterday. It was called _A Guide to the World's Greatest Fools_. He's always bringing funny books like that. This one time, he brought one called _The Universe of Stew_."

"...Did you have a point in there somewhere?" Yuki asked.

"Oh, right," Momiji said. "So anyway, a bunch of us sat down and read this book together. There was this one story in it, I remember. It was called 'The Most Foolish Traveler in the World.'

"You see, once upon a time, there was this foolish traveler who had gone on a journey. Why was he foolish? Well, because he was fooled by everyone he met! Everywhere he went, people made up all kinds of sad stories to tell him, and the traveler fell for every one of them.

"Pretty soon, his money, his clothes, even his shoes had been cheated away from him. But the foolish traveler was always glad to help. And he always told people the same thing. He said, 'I wish you happiness.'

"But by this point, though, the traveler was completely naked, and with nothing left to cover himself, he left the main road and traveled through the dense forest, where no one could see him. But soon he was discovered by the goblins that lived in the woods. They wanted to eat the traveler's body, so they begged and pleaded, and they used kind words to try and trick him. Of course, the traveler was fooled.

"First he let the goblins eat one of his legs. Then an arm. Then more and more. Before it was over, all that the traveler had left was his head. He'd even given his eyes away to the last of the goblins. And as that lsat goblin was eating the traveler's eyes, he said, 'Thank you, traveler. In return, I give you this present.'

"What the goblin left was a slip of paper with the word 'fool' written on it. The traveler couldn't see it. He didn't know what it was. Even so, tears began to flow down his face. 'Thank you,' he said. 'This is the first present anyone has ever given me. I'm so happy. I'm so happy. Thank you.'

"Even without his eyes, he cried and cried, great tears of joy. Then the traveler died, the smile still on his face."

Yuki, Shigure, and Kyo looked at Momiji as he finished the story.

"Right after we heard that yesterday, all of the other kids in my class started making fun of the traveler. But while they did that, I closed my eyes and thought about him a little bit longer. I thought about how he had given everything away, until all he had left was his head, and how at the end, he still cried for joy as he said thank you.

"And I realized..." He sighed a little. "I feel so sorry for him, see?"

They all looked at him, starting to understand how he felt.

"Loss, hardship, things like that? You can't only focus on them. The traveler didn't. He never thought about his own troubles at all."

They thought about the three girls upstairs.

"I imagine that it probably does sound really foolish to some people. But not to me. I don't think he's foolish at all. Even though other people probably think he was being tricked? I don't think he was. I think he did exactly what he wanted to do.

"I think, more than anything, he just wanted to make other people happy." He looked at Kyo and Yuki. "What about you, Yuki? Kyo? What do you think? Really? Is that foolish? When you close your eyes and think about it, is that what it is?"

Yuki and Kyo both thought of all three girls when they thought about what Momiji said. But then they thought of the girls closest to them.

Really, was it so foolish to want to make other people happy, and not count the cost to yourself?

No, it isn't, they thought. Not at all.

**3_3_3_3_3**

The next morning, I went outside to hang some laundry out to dry. I sang a little bit to myself as I worked, so I didn't hear Kyo walk up behind me.

"I'm going for you."

I started and turned to face him. "Oh, good morning," I said. "What did you-?"

"The hot spring? I'm going. For you."

Lucky thing he said it so slow, I thought, because I'm just a little confused.

"I didn't make or get you anything for White Day. So instead, I'll put up with that damn Yuki, and I'll go to the hotspring for you."

"F-for me?" I asked quietly.

His cheeks flushed a little, but he didn't say anything in reply to that. He just continued like I hadn't spoken. "Maybe you don't care either way...you know, whether I go or not...but..." His face was even redder now.

I smiled widely and moved closer.

He looked at me, surprised by the sudden decrease in distance between us.

"No, no! That's great! It'll be much more fun if you're there, too! That's wonderful! I'm so happy right now, I could hug you! Thank you so much! I'm so happy! Thank you!"

He looked at me for a moment. "You know, y-"

Then I saw something that I hadn't seen in a very long time. Kyo smiled. It was small, sort of like a content, amused smile. It didn't stop at his mouth. It reached his eyes as well.

"You really are somethin'...you know that?"

I felt my face get very hot as I looked at him, my eyes full of surprise.

"Kyo's got the hots this morning!" Momiji sang, coming up behind Kyo.

"I do not!" he yelled at Momiji.

Momiji giggled. "He's got the hots!"

"Shut up!"

"Waahhhh!"

Wow, I thought, laughing a little. Momiji Sohma, moment killer.

Yuki stumbled sleepily over to the open door, his clothes and hair a mess.

Miki and Sachiko also peeked out.

"What's going on?" Yuki asked.

"Ah! You're here just in time! Kyo's decided to go the hot springs with us!" I said.

Miki and Sachiko grinned at me, and I shook my head at them.

Yuki looked at Kyo, who was at that moment digging his fist into Momiji's head again. "Well," he said, "I suppose we'll survive."

**;;;;;**

"This will be fun!" I said to Miki and Sachiko as we went upstairs to pack some clothes.

"So long as Kyo doesn't kill Momiji," Miki said.

"Aw, he'll be okay," Sachiko said.

"Kiku could always hug him again," Miki said.

We laughed.

"Yes," I said. "I suppose that's always an option."


	32. An Exciting Excursion

**Yay, time for updating again! It's finals season here at school. What about for all of you? My semester's over next Tuesday when I finish my Japanese final -woo! (Though it's not "officially" over until the 17th.)**

**Anywhoo, been doing a lot of studying and paper-writing, so I'm getting a little behind on my updating. Sorry, everyone!**

**Mila: I know, right? It's such a sad story! But Momiji gives it that nice little twist that always makes me happy :) YES I love how flustered Momiji makes Kyo XD Thank you! I'm the same way about Tohru. She's a cool character, but sometimes she just doesn't seem real enough. It's like, I can be that optimisic and caring and all that, but I still have a temper and these little moments of depression. We're only human -not Tohrus! heh Yes, yay for craziness, indeed! :D Thank you so much for your review!**

**Maddie: Thank you for your review! ^.^ Yeah, I haven't actually finished the manga yet, so I only know how to write Akito as a guy XD No Thanksgiving? ! :O Scandalous! But, yes, it was a good break :) Harry Potter, my birthday, and family. Oh, and no voice hahaha**

**tikarose: Thank youuu! :)**

**D.W: No reason to be sorry! Yes, I love it very much :) Ugh, viruses. How I hate them. Hope your laptop gets de-bugged soon! And that you can get it all back the way it was! Good luck!**

**stabbythings: Thank you! ^.^**

**Okay, now that that's out of the way, let's get to the story, shall we? Enjoy! ^.^**

**-XXXII. An Exciting Excursion-**

"Look! A mountain!"

"Uh-huh," we said.

"And a river!"

"Uh-huh."

"And a field!"

"Uh-huh..."

It was then that we noticed that Momiji could be very loud at times.

"It's such a beautiful day!"

"Yes, it is," I said.

Momiji jumped back over to his seat next to Yuki and Kyo. "Right, Yuki? Right, Kyo?" he asked.

"I guess," they said in unison, which caused them to turn and glare at each other.

"So why are you guys being so quiet?" Momiji asked them. "You're not sad you came, are you?"

"We hope not," Sachiko said.

"Especially sine you only came to keep us company," I said.

"And thank you for that," Sachiko said.

They blinked at us.

"Though I do hope we're not taking you away from anything important," I added.

"Yeah," Miki said. "I mean, if there were other things you had planned..."

"Ah, forget about it," Kyo said. "I only came because...there wasn't anything better to do at home."

Sachiko elbowed me when he glanced my way. I shot her a look and she grinned.

"And I haven't been to the hot spring in a long time. I was happy to come along," Yuki said.

He was looking at Miki when he said it, and I thought I saw her blush a little.

"Oh, I get it!" Momiji said, standing up again.

You're the only one, I thought.

"You were just thinking how nice it's gonna be once we get there, right?"

Okay, so maybe he doesn't.

"Mm-hmm," Yuki said.

"Then it's settled! Once we get there, we're all gonna try to have as much fun as we can! Right, Sachiko? Miki? Kiku?"

"Uh-huh!"

"Right!"

"I'm sure that won't be hard to do," we said.

Who'd have thought that giving out Valentines would earn us a trip to a fancy hot spring? I thought. And that we'd get to ride in a private charter bus!

We're not even there yet, and I'm already excited! I'm practically bouncing up and down in my seat! Okay, I need to calm down.

"It's like we're princesses in a fairy tale," I said.

How was that for calming down?

Momiji smiled widely. "Yeah! You three can be the princesses, and I'll be the prince!"

"Ah, give me a break," Kyo said, running his hand through his hair. "It's just a hot spring. It's nothin' you gotta get all worked up over."

"I think it's just ahead," Yuki said, leaning forward in his seat a little to look out the windshield of the bus.

**;;;;;**

We got off the bus a few minutes later, and stood in front of the bath house while the driver unloaded our bags.

The three of us were amazed at the building. It had that kind of old-world charm to it. Old sliding doors, shuttered windows -all made of wood.

"Wow," Sachiko said.

"It's beautiful," I said.

"Totally," Miki said.

"Well, come on, Princesses! Your room awaits!" Momiji said.

I just wanted to hug him! Maybe I'm just a huggy person, I don't know.

"Thank you, Momiji," I said.

"This is all so wonderful," Sachiko said.

"And don't forget, you're the princesses! Ooh! And I'll be your knight!"

"Knock it off," Kyo snapped.

"Well, then," our driver said, getting back on the bus. "I'll be back to pick you up tomorrow."

We picked up our bags and waved after him.

"Okay! Thank you!" Momiji called. "Bye-bye!"

We heard the door to the bath house open, and turned to see who -or what- had opened it.

An old woman knelt there, her eyes dark and sunken into her sullen face, which was framed by dark hair. She groaned. "Thank goodness... I'm so glad you're here..."

The three of us jumped back, hiding behind the boys.

The woman smiled. Even her smile was scary. She looked like a ghost or something, smiling at the prospect of guests.

"Oh, don't worry," Momiji said. "She's the Hot Spring Lady."

"I believe the word you're looking for is 'hostess'," Yuki said.

"Uh...are you okay?" I asked.

"Is everything alright?" Sachiko asked.

We yelped when the woman jumped up and grabbed onto me.

"Pleeeeeease! Let me show you to your room!" she screamed.

Suddenly, before I could even react to her screams, her expression calmed and she stepped back, clearing her throat. "I beg your pardon. Please, follow me."

They did.

We didn't.

"Well, what's life without surprises?" I said, and started to follow the boys.

Miki and Sachiko scuttled along after us.

"Guess what!" Momiji said. "The Hot Spring Lady is a Sohma, too! But she gets sick a lot, so she stays here, for the health benefits and all."

Looks like she needs all the help she can get, I thought.

"The Sohmas own this place, you know."

"Really?" Miki asked.

Well, it was clear yet again that the Sohmas weren't exactly a poor family.

The lady turned to us and smiled, her face now much less...scary. "I do apologize if I startled you," she said.

"Oh, no, please," I said. "Don't apologize to us."

"You really don't have to," Miki said.

"Just so long as you're feeling okay, that's what's important," Sachiko said.

"You girls are too kind to an old woman like me...but thank you," she said. She turned to address all of us. "I'm surprised Young Master Shigure didn't accompany you today. Perhaps he was too busy with work?"

"'Young Master Shigure'?" Kyo asked. "How old _are_ you?"

I softly smacked my hand against his shoulder, and he rolled his eyes. I smiled a little.

"Yes, he had deadlines on two books coming up," Yuki said.

Not that he'll meet either of them, I thought.

"Well, that's a shame," she said. "You see, you're the only guests we have today. It would've been a fine chance to visit with him."

So, if she's a Sohma, I thought, and she already knows Shigure and everyone, I wonder if she knows about the Zodiac curse? Or maybe she's even a member of the Zodiac herself! But there I go jumping to conclusions again.

"Ah, here we are," she said, sliding back a door to a room.

"Wow, it's so big!" Momiji said, running around.

"Yes," the woman said. "I made sure we had our best room prepared for you arrival."

The three of us smiled.

Wow is right, I thought. The inside is just as amazing as the outside.

"Girls, you've got to look at this garden!" Momiji said, standing over by the doors to the outside.

"I cannot believe how beautiful this all is," Miki said.

"It looks like it goes on forever," Sachiko said.

"Almost," Momiji said. "See, from that forest over there, to that mountain over there -it's all Sohma property!"

Really?" I asked. "It all belongs to your family?"

"Uh-huh! Everything you see!"

"While we're here," I said, "maybe it would be fun to go out for a walk."

"You wouldn't be the first to think so," the hostess said, setting out tea for all of us. "Actually we've even had a few guests go walking who never made it back..."

We stared at her, wide-eyed.

"Kiku, Miki, Sachiko," Momiji said, giggling. "You were supposed to laugh!"

"Ohh," Miki said nervously. "It was a joke."

"Yeah, so don't worry," Momiji said. "Really, they never lose the guests for too long. There's a professional search party on call at all times!"

"You mean, they have to call in search parties? !" I cried.

"That was a joke too," Momiji said, laughing.

"Oh, right," Sachiko said, shaking her head.

"Ladies," the woman said, "I've prepared a room for you adjacent to the young masters' here."

"Thank you," we said.

"Hey!"

We looked at Kyo.

"I hope you don't think I'm stayin' in the same room as that damn Yuki!"

There won't be a room left afterwards, I thought.

The woman chuckled. "You two get along as poorly as ever, I see. But, please, don't be upset. There are sliding doors to divide the room."

"That's not the point!" Kyo said, jumping up. "The point is, I didn't come here to-"

"The point is," Momiji said, running over and elbowing Kyo in the stomach playfully, "you just want to stay in the same room as Kiku, don't you?"

Both our faces turned bright red, and he cried out in protest.

"How crude," Yuki said.

"Hey! I didn't say that!" Kyo said. "So shut up, Momiji! You and your damn mouth!"

"Master Kyo..."

He looked over his shoulder at the woman fearfully.

She screamed. "Ahhhh! You should be ashamed of yourself!" she cried, grabbing his shirt in her hand and shaking him. "To think you would even suggest the idea of sharing a room with a young woman, let alone three! And all this time, even if you are a Cat, I thought you to be a decent young man! Since when have you gotten such lecherous ideas into your head? !"

"Hey! Hold on a minute!" Kyo shouted, his eyes wide with fear.

"I'm sorry, world!" she screamed. "I must apologize on behalf of this dirty-minded boy! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" she shouted over and over.

"Okay, fine! I'll stay in the room with Yuki!"

"Pervert!" Momiji laughed. "Kyo's a pervert!"

I covered my face with my hands. Oh. My. Gosh.

"I think she's stronger than she lets on," Yuki said.

"No joke," Miki said.

**;;;;;**

Again, after a few moments, the hostess was back to normal. "Alright, then," she said, going to the door. "I'll leave you to enjoy yourselves." And she shut the door.

Kyo threw himself down in a chair and sighed. "Finally, it's quiet."

"There's still time before dinner!" Momiji said. "So let's take a bath, okay, girls?"

"Okay!" I said.

"Let's take it together!"

Kyo jumped up and knocked Momiji to the ground, sitting on him. "You little- Now who's the pervert?"

"Aww-ww, what'd I do?" Momiji asked.

"Oh, it's fine," Sachiko said. "I mean, he's so little and all..."

"Little?" Kyo asked. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Kyooo! I wanna go in with the girls! I wanna! I wanna! I wanna!" Momiji wailed.

Yuki stood and put his hands on Momiji's shoulders.

He stopped wailing, and looked at Yuki.

"Why don't we give the ladies some time to themselves?" Yuki asked. "After all, the reason we came here was to give them a chance to relax, right?"

Momiji looked at him for a moment, then smiled a little. "Right, I get it."

Yuki smiled and nodded.

Kyo glared at him.

We just watched silently.

"But tonight, we'll sleep together, okay?"

**3_3_3_3_3**

Kyo and Yuki stared at Momiji. _He doesn't get it._

**3_3_3_3_3**

The three of us went to our room shortly after that. We arranged our things in the room, and then talked about going to take a bath.

"Our first open-air bath," I said, looking out at the steam hanging in the air.

"I can't wait!" Sachiko said.

"This is gonna be awesome!" Miki said.

We looked at each other.

"Swimsuits?" I asked.

"Swimsuits," they said.

"It'll be like a giant hot tub," Sachiko said as we changed behind our screens.

"It seems like it'd be big enough for someone like Momiji to swim in," I said.

**3_3_3_3_3**

Kyo and Yuki stared at Momiji, who was dog-paddling across the bath and laughing loudly.

"He _is_ swimming," Kyo said.

**3_3_3_3_3**

The three of us set our towels on the porch, pulled our hair up on our heads, and got in.

Saki's right, I thought. It _is_ like a giant hot tub.

"Oh, man, this feels good," Miki said.

"I second that," Sachiko said.

"I third it," I said.

**3_3_3_3_3**

Momiji ran to the edge of the bath and then did a cannonball into the water. "Wheeee!" he giggled. "I'm doing that again!"

Kyo grabbed his arm. "Momiji! Just get in and be quiet."

He did as he was told. For about three seconds.

"Sachiko! Miki! Kiku! How are you all doing?"

Kyo grabbed Momiji and dug his fist into his head. "You little brat! Didn't I tell you to be quiet? !"

Yuki just sat in the water silently.

"Aw, but they're lonely!"

"How can they be lonely if there's three of 'em over there? !"

"Oh, hey!" Momiji called, ignoring Kyo. "I know! Let's sing a song okay?"

Kyo and Yuki thought of the time they had heard the girls sing, unaware of the fact that they were both thinking about the same thing.

**3_3_3_3_3**

"That way, it'll seem like we're all in here together!"

"Wouldn't _that_ be awkward," Sachiko said.

"Oh, Saki, none of us are naked!" I said.

"But still! It's called a _bath_. And they're shirtless."

I rolled my eyes, blaming the fact that I was blushing on the steam. From the look on Miki's face, she was thinking the same thing.

"Well, what would you do if Hatsuharu was over there?" I whispered.

She grinned.

"Wait, don't answer that," Miki said.

"I didn't say anything!"

"You were thinking it!"

"It'll be a lot of fun! Really!" Momiji called, oblivious to our conversation. (And a good thing he was, too. That meant neither Kyo nor Yuki had heard either.)

"A song?" Miki asked.

"Yeah, yeah!" Momiji said. "Sing something!"

We looked at each other. We knew a lot of songs, but...

"We don't really know what to sing," I said.

"Okay! I'll sing then!"

"This'll be interesting," Miki muttered.

"_Who's in the forest strolling?_

_The birds and the bees sing, 'Momiji!'_

_The frogs in the pond are calling_

_'Momiji, yes, it's true!'_

_The trees raise their leaves-_"

"What the hell is that?" we heard Kyo ask.

"It's my song! I made it up!" Momiji said.

"So why don't you make up something that isn't so annoying?"

"Just sing it! Girls, you sing, too!

"_Who's in the forest strolling?_

_The birds and the bees sing, 'Momiji!'_

"Your turn!"

We shrugged.

"_Who's in the forest strolling?_

_The birds and the bees sing, 'Momiji!'_"

Momiji giggled.

"_The frogs in the pond are calling_

_'Momiji, yes, it's true!'_"

"Why frogs, out of curiosity?" Yuki asked.

"Hey! Knock it off already!" Kyo said.

We echoed Momiji again.

Kyo groaned. "Ah! This is driving me crazy!"

"Which kind, I wonder," Miki said, elbowing me in the side.

I splashed her and she laughed.

We sang the song again.

"_The trees raise their leaves together_

_'Who needs the sun when we've got you?'_

_Who's in the forest strolling..._"

I suddenly started to feel dizzy. I put my hand to my head. It was feeling uncomfortably heavy. And it started pounding.

I started swaying where I was sitting, and my head pounded harder. Then my vision started to blurr.

Stay up, I thought. You're in water. You've got to...s-stay up. Stay up...

**3_3_3_3_3**

"Kiku!" Miki and Sachiko cried. They immediately pulled her up out of the water.

"What happened?" Kyo called.

"She passed out!" Sachiko yelled back.

"You and your stupid song, Momiji..."

From the splashing they heard, the two conscious girls assumed that the guys were coming over to help.

"For the love of all that's good, cover up!" Miki yelled.

"What'd ya think we're doing? !" Kyo shouted back.

Miki rolled her eyes.

Miki and Sachiko got Kiku out of the water and wrapped a towel around her.

The hostess came and said that they could bring her to the first aid room (similar to what you'd think of as a nurse's office at a school).

Obviously, none of the guys could carry Kiku, or they'd transform. She wasn't very heavy, though, so Miki and Sachiko managed.

The hostess told them that she'd look after her, and would tell them when she woke up.

**3_3_3_3_3**

I groaned and slowly blinked my eyes open.

"Ah, Miss Kiku?"

I looked at the hostess, then shot up, wondering where I was. I put my hand to my head and felt very dizzy. "What happened?" I asked wearily.

"Oh, good. I'm glad to see you've come around," she said. "It's not very often someone faints during their bath, but our hot spring... Well, it can make some people dizzy. You should be alright now, though. You hit your head on one of the rocks, but you just have a little bump."

I reached my hand to the back of my head, and winced a little when I found the bump. Way to go, Kiks, I thought. Only _you_ would actually pass out in an open-air steam bath.

I looked back at the hostess. "Thank you for helping me," I said.

"You really should thank those friends of yours," she said. "Ready and able, they are."

"I am sorry if I put you to any trouble," I said.

She slammed her hands down on the exam table I was laying on. "Outrageous!" she screamed. "Never in all my years has a guest apologized to meee! Ahh! I should have warned you it was possible to get dizzy in the hot spriiing! Clearly, I have failed in my duties as your hostess!" she cried, running about the room.

Then she ran over and crawled under a rug, running around on the floor like a chicken that had just lost its head. "Dig my grave now, so I may crawl in and die! I'm sorry! I'm sorrryyyy!"

I sat on the table, staring at her with wide eyes. What on earth...? I wondered.

She stopped all of a sudden, maybe from feeling my stare. "Oh..." she said, standing up. "I beg your pardon."

"Not at all," I said, trying to lose my weirded-out face.

"So those are your best friends, are they?"

"Oh, yes," I said. "Our parents were best friends, too. But...well, you see, they passed away last year in an accident. But...when all of us are together, it's like they're still with us. In spirit."

The woman sniffled. "Oh, my... What a beautiful story..."

I don't know if I'd say that, I thought. It's just how we feel...

"Kiku! Are you okay?" I heard Momiji call as the woman sobbed.

Was it really that "moving"? I wondered.

"Yes, I'm fine," I called back. I turned to the woman. "Really, thank you so much for all of your help." I bowed and went out.

I went back to the boys' room, where everyone was, and Miki and Sachiko tackled me, almost knocking me over.

"Do you _like_ scaring us half to death? !" Sachiko cried.

"Don't ever do it again!" Miki ordered.

"Like I have any control over that," I said.

We looked at each other, and laughed.

Yuki and Kyo looked at us, clearly wondering something like, What's so funny?

We were all wearing light blue robes, the tie around the middle dark blue. Kyo's was only different because he had rolled the sleeves up to make it look sleeveless.

I'll ignore that, I thought.

I looked at the table and found that dinner was on it: a whole spread of different kinds of foods.

"Ohh wow!" I said. "This is incredible!"

"You think we can eat all this?" Kyo asked.

"We can sure as heck try!" Miki said.

"Guess we'd better get started serving the rice," I said.

"No, no!" Momiji said. "Remember? You're the princesses today! I'll do it!"

Let's just say Momiji was a little inexperienced at serving rice. He lumped a whole lot of rice into each bowl, some spilling over the side.

"Don't you think that's a little bit much-"

Momiji smacked Kyo's hand with a spoon as he reached for some food with his chopsticks.

"What the hell was that? !" Kyo snapped.

"The Princesses get to go first!" Momiji said. "I think Princess Kiku should go first! You've gotta be hungry after all that fainting!"

We laughed a little.

"Well, Miss Oshiro, what are you going to try?" Yuki asked.

"Hmm," I said, looking around and picking up my chopsticks. I've never been good at decision making, I thought, but I'll just pick...this one.

I put the veggie roll in my mouth. "Delicious," I said.

"Wonderful," Yuki said.

"Ah, forget it," Miki said. "Let's eat!"

"Pardon the intrusion."

We looked up to see the hostess kneeling at the door.

"But the head chef would very much like to pay his respects to the young masters."

He came in after the hostess' introduction.

Weird, I thought, he looks like a monkey, kind of, with the big ears and all...

"As always, it is my pleasure to serve you," he said, kneeling and bowing. "Does the cuisine meet with your approval?"

"Oh, yeah," Kyo said, giving him a half-smile.

"It's even more delicious than I remembered," Yuki said.

"A meal fit for a king," Sachiko said.

Or princesses, as Momiji keeps saying, I thought.

The chef suddenly looked up. "Please, make way!" He jumped right between Yuki and Kyo and grabbed a dish from the table. "Ah...it's too cold..."

The hostess gasped.

"Noooo!" he cried, crawling back to his place next to the hostess. "This is inexcusable! I thought I'd seen to it that the young masters' cuisine would be served with the hot foods hot and the cold foods cold! Only my complete lack of confidence as a chef could allow such a lukewarm dish to be served to you! I beg your forgiveness!"

He gasped and pulled out a pair of chopsticks. "Maybe I be cut into a thousand pieces for this egregious act!"

With chopsticks? I wondered.

"No! It was my fault!" the hostess cried. "I clearly waited too long to serve your meal!"

"No! It was my fault!"

"It was my fault!"

They started dueling with their chopsticks, still arguing about whose fault it was.

"By any chance," Miki said, "are those two-?"

"Related?" Yuki finished. "Yes, they're cousins. It's amazing the family resemblance."

"No kidding," Miki said.


	33. Songs and Ribbons

**Yayy another new chapter! Sorry this one's a little late. This was my final week of my first semester of college. I am officially DONE! ...So I've been busy with returning text books, enrolling for next semester...decorating my friend's house for Christmas...covering myself in tinsel, wondering where the nativity Joseph was hiding... All that good stuff. What are you all doing for Christmas? Traveling? Staying home? Hope it's fun, whatever the case!**

**tika rose: Haha! You're right! That is the part after this chapter! That's one of my favorite episodes xD Glad you're liking it! Thank you so much! :)**

**.x: YAYAYAYYA OMIGOSH YOU'RE BACK! :DDD I've missed you, my friend! Psh, you've always been crazy ;) Ah, golly, I've missed you! :D (And Tama-chan, too heehee *blushy face* ^.^) Thank you so much! Sorry your fingers hurt! Owie! Hope they get better! (And, hey, shoot me a message sometime about our Ouran story! Just whenever you get a chance ^.^) I MISSED YOU! *tackle-glomp* ^.^**

**Mila: Yes, very creepy, indeed... *shifty eyes* She totally freaked me out the first time I watched it. Now it's hilarious XD But, yes, after a while, it just gets a **_**little**_** annoying and you wanna either hit fast-forward or mute haha Yes, Momiji... But I love him anyway! He's such a great character, and so fun to write ^.^ Hey, I'm a crazy person, too! xD Thanks for your review! :)**

**AniMEfanGirl101 (a.k.a. Maddie): Ohh, gotcha haha Yeah, my friend had that same problem. She knew she had an account on here, but couldn't remember what it was! haha Yes, yes, that will be very interesting indeed! I have to say, the first time I watched the show, I pretty much hated him, but Akito's growing on me. (I REALLY need to finish the manga *sweatdrop*) Thanks for the review! :D**

**stabbythings: Thank you so much! ^.^**

**Thanks to everyone for your reviews! I just have a couple more quick notes before we get on with this chapter. First of all, I don't own the song in this chapter; Owl City does. If you don't know who he is, GO CHECK HIM OUT NAO MM'KAY? Don't diss it just 'cause it's electronic-y and somewhat mainstream now. Adam Young has some of the deepest, sweetest, most beautiful music I've ever heard. Anyway, in short, I'm a huge Owl City fan, soyeah ^.^**

**Second, for those of you **_**Final Fantasy VII**_** fans (or those of you just looking for a good Christmas/holiday/winter story), my close friend BondSlave is writing me a story as a birthday present! It's really good! It's called "Winter Solstice", and it's in my favs. Check it out, if you should feel the urge ^.^**

**Anywhoo, here's chapter 33! Enjoy, faithful readers! :)**

**-XXXIII. Songs and Ribbons-**

After dinner, the three of us went back to our room. We sat out on the porch next to the hot spring for a few minutes in silence.

Mom really would've loved this, I thought. She was always a traveler. And I especially liked getting out of town with her. Even when I griped about not wanting to go, I always ended up having a good time anyway.

I sighed softly. Funny, the things we take for granted.

I started humming to myself as I looked out at the stars. Then I heard music, and looked up to see Sachiko with her guitar, and Miki with her keyboard. I smiled and sat up.

"You read my mind," I said.

We laughed, and started singing.

_"You would not believe your eyes_

_If ten million fireflies_

_Lit up the world as I fell asleep_

_'Cause they fill the open air_

_And leave teardrops everywhere_

_You'd think me rude, but I_

_Would just stand and stare_

_I like to make myself believe_

_That planet Earth turns slowly_

_It's hard to say that I'd rather_

_Stay awake when I'm asleep_

_'Cause everything is never as it seems..."_

**3_3_3_3_3**

Of course, the boys were listening in the next room. How could they not?

"Wow!" Momiji said. "I didn't know Kiku could sing like that! Or that Sachiko and Miki could play instruments!"

"Shut up, Momiji," Kyo said. "And how could you not have known?"

"Give it a rest, you stupid cat," Yuki said.

"You tryin' to start something? !"

"Shut your mouth, or I'll go find some leeks."

They were all quiet. They listened.

**3_3_3_3_3**

_"...'Cause I get a thousand hugs_

_From ten thousand lightning bugs_

_As they try to teach me how to dance_

_A foxtrot above my head_

_A sock-hop beneath my bed_

_The disco ball is just hanging_

_By a thread_

_I like to make myself believe_

_That planet Earth turns slowly_

_It's hard to say that I'd rather_

_Stay awake when I'm asleep_

_'Cause everything is never as it seems_

_When I fall asleep_

_Leave my door open just a crack_

_(Please take me away from here)_

_'Cause I feel like such an insomniac_

_(Please take me away from here)_

_Why do I tired of counting sheep_

_(Please take me away from here)_

_When I'm far too tired to fall asleep?_

_To ten million fireflies_

_I'm weird 'cause I hate goodbyes_

_I got misty eyes as they said farewell_

_(Said farewell)_

_But I'll know where several are_

_If my dreams get real bizarre_

_'Cause I saved a few_

_And I keep them in a jar_

_I like to make myself believe_

_That planet Earth turns slowly_

_It's hard to say that I'd rather_

_Stay awake when I'm asleep_

_'Cause everything is never as it seems_

_When I fall asleep_

_I like to make myself believe_

_That planet Earth turns slowly_

_It's hard to say that I'd rather_

_Stay awake when I'm asleep_

_'Cause everything is never as it seems_

_When I fall asleep_

_I like to make myself believe_

_That planet Earth turns slowly_

_It's hard to say that I'd rather_

_Stay awake when I'm asleep_

_Because my dreams are bursting at the seams."_

Seemed like we always sang when we were really happy, but isn't that what singing is about? To most people? Expressing happiness? Though I guess it's really just about expression of any and every emotion.

I wondered if Kyo and Yuki had heard like the last time, but decided not to dwell on it too much.

I looked out at the steam coming from the spring.

"Steam sure looks nice," Miki said.

"Yeah, and it's such a beautiful night," I said.

"Why don't we try to go out for another bath?" Sachiko suggested.

"Yeah," Miki and I said together.

"Just so long as Kiku doesn't pass out again," Miki added.

"I won't!"

We got changed again, and then went outside. We went over to one of the springs, and saw a sign posted nearby.

"For guests prone to dizziness," I read.

"Let's go!" Miki said.

We laid our towels down on some wooden lounge chairs, and got in.

I breathed deep, and sighed happily. No dizziness here, I thought.

"My, my..."

We turned to see the hostess at the edge of the spring.

"Oh, hello," I said.

"I see you discovered the sign I posted. Very good. You should find this bath a bit more to your liking. And you three are together, of course. You truly are special young ladies."

"Oh, I don't know about that," we said together, and laughed.

The hostess laughed a little and got in with us. "Now that we have a quiet moment," she said, "I've been meaning to speak to you girls. Did you know that my own child is a member of the Zodiac like Master Yuki and the others? Yes, my child was born under the sign of the monkey."

We all gasped a little. Another member of the Zodiac!

"So when I first heard the news that you three had come to live among the Sohmas...I must admit, it made me somewhat uneasy."

We looked at her.

"I was afraid that allowing outsiders to learn the secret of the Zodiac curse would only lead to greater suffering for my child and all of the other young masters as well, you see?"

We tilted our heads a little, surprised by this new knowledge.

"However, I'd like to apologize to you now for having ever thought that. Having met you, ladies, I'm no longer worried. Because if your paths should cross someday, I am confident you will be as much friends to my child as you have been to Masters Yuki and Kyo."

We smiled.

"Of course!"

"Uh-huh!"

"Yep!"

"'Course some of us are a little closer to Yuki and Kyo than others..."

Both Miki and I elbowed Sachiko in the ribs and she laughed.

The hostess looked confused, but laughed as well.

The monkey, I thought as we got out and changed out of our suits. I do hope we get to meet someday soon.

**;;;;;**

"Yeah, that's right. The Hot Spring Lady is Ritsu's mom," Momiji said as we walked down the hall to the hot springs' game room. "Sorry, I thought I told you all that."

"So...Ritsu?" Miki asked.

"Mm-hmm! But enough about that! Let's play ping-pong, okay? Yuki and Kyo never let me play with them."

We soon found out why. They were in the middle of a game when we walked in.

Kyo smashed the ball as hard as he could, and it went flying past Yuki's head.

"Out again," Yuki said boredly.

Kyo looked at him in shock, as if wondering how he could've gotten it out again.

"I told you, you have to let it bounce on the table."

"Shut up! That's stupid! Why would I wanna hit that slow?" Kyo said.

"Why?" Yuki said. "Because those are the rules."

Yuki bounced the ball over, and Kyo smashed it again. So hard, in fact, that the ping-pong ball embedded itself in the wall behind Yuki.

"Out again."

Kyo glared at him, a quiet growl forming in his throat.

"Hang in there, Kyo!" I said. "You can do it!"

"I thought at least at ping-pong he might have a chance to beat me," Yuki said, smirking at Kyo. "But, as usual, he's hopeless."

Kyo cried out and suddenly threw the ping-pong table on its side. "How can I beat you with all these stupid rules? ! You damn rat! How 'bout we take this outside? !"

"You know, you're the one who wanted to play this game in the first place," Yuki said.

"Uh...well, in that case, if you still want to, I'll play you, Kyo," I said.

"Ooh, that sounds like fun! Play her, play her!" Momiji said.

"Advance warning," Kyo said as Yuki handed me his ping-pong paddle. "I'm not gonna go easy on you just 'cause you're a girl."

I put my hand on my hip and looked at him. "And I'm not gonna go easy on you, just 'cause you're a guy."

"Ooh," Miki and Sachiko said together.

"Who asked you? !" he snapped at them.

I laughed.

"Remember, it has to bounce," Yuki said.

"You shut up!" Kyo shot back.

Kyo served it, and it went over the net to my side.

Then I had an epic fail. I swung for the ball and missed.

Miki and Sachiko busted up laughing.

"I missed it!" I said in disbelief.

"Yeah," Kyo said. "You kinda suck."

"Now where have I heard that before?" I asked, grinning.

He rolled his eyes.

"Kyo, don't tell her that!" Momiji scolded.

"Aw, he'll get it on the next serve," I assured Momiji. "Just wait."

I glanced over my shoulder and saw Yuki walk out, his hand over his mouth. I nodded to Miki, and she ran after him. I hoped everything was alright, but knew that, if anything was wrong, Miki would take care of it.

"Okay, let's go," I said.

"You got it!" Kyo said.

**3_3_3_3_3**

Miki followed Yuki outside to the garden. "Yuki?" she asked. "Is there something wrong? You seem upset, all of a sudden..."

She heard something, and his shoulders were shaking. Is...is he-? she wondered.

He was. He was laughing.

"Miss Oshiro...swinging and missing..." he said. "Oh, she's awful! That was hilarious!"

Miki laughed a little too.

"I'm sorry," he sighed, smiling.

"It's okay to laugh," she said. "You don't have to hide it. You could have laughed in front of us."

"Oh, no, I couldn't have," he said, still laughing. "If Kyo saw me like this, he'd never let me live it down. I've never even laughed like this in front of my parents if you can believe that."

Miki looked at him curiously, but didn't ask aloud. Not even in front of his parents...?

He sighed happily and she smiled. "Ah, that was a good laugh."

He turned to her, pulling something out of his sleeve. "Oh, I almost forgot," he said. He handed her a small white package. "This is for you. I'd hoped I'd have a chance to give it to you earlier, but somehow the timing just never seemed to be right."

She smiled and took it, opening it.

"It's my White Day present to you."

She took out two red hair ribbons, and smiled widely at him. "Thank you so much!" She took her hair down and tied the ribbons in, her cheeks slightly flushed.

"I had a hard time deciding what to get you at first, but when I saw this, well...it just seemed to suit you." He reached forward and took one of the ends of the ribbon in her hair in his hand. "I do hope you find it to your liking, Princess."

If she wasn't blushing before, she was now. "Uh...yes! Of course I like it. Really, thank you so much!"

"Princess..." He raised the ribbon higher. "I can think of no higher honor." He gently touched the riboon to his lips.

She blushed even more.

"I...I'm just kidding," he said, smiling uneasily at her blushing.

She relaxed slightly and laughed nervously.

"And...I wanted to tell you that...we heard you all singing. Earlier."

Her face flushed a little again.

"It was beautiful, as always. Momiji agrees."

She smiled at him. "Thank you."

"Of course, Miss Miyamoto." He smiled at her. "It's just the truth."

Sometimes, he really does seem like a prince, she thought. There are many princes in the Sohma family, not just Yuki. Handsome, kind princes, who make all our lives better.

Or, at the very least, a lot more interesting.

**3_3_3_3_3**

"Out! That's game point!" I said, leaning over the table.

"What? ! Is not!"

"Is too! I won, Kyo!"

Momiji and Sachiko were in the next room playing foosball, so Kyo and I were alone. Darn, I thought. No one was here to see me win.

Funny how _we_ always seem to end up alone... I thought, a tad suspicious.

"There's no third party, Kyo, so you're going to have to trust me," I said.

He sighed. "Fine, you win."

"Yay!" I said.

He scratched the back of his head and blushed a little.

"You okay?" I asked.

He looked at me, then back at the ground. "Just wanted to say that...we heard you guys singing earlier."

"Oh..." I said. "You did?"

He nodded. "It was pretty awesome."

My face got hot. "Thanks."

"But I've got a question."

"Sure," I said.

"I have a feeling that song's kinda special. Is it?"

"Mm-hmm," I said. "A while back, probably when we were no older than...eight or nine, I think, we were out in this field in the country. It was the night we all saw our first fireflies. The first time you see them is...so magical. Heck, any time is magical.

"That song not only reminds us of that night, but also of being with our parents." I shrugged a little. "I guess it just reminds us of...better times. It reminds us of the full moon. Of dancing in the field with the fireflies. I guess that sounds kinda crazy, or a little weird, but..."

I stopped and looked at him.

He was smiling at me like he had that morning.

_"You really are something...you know that?"_

When he saw me looking, he cleared his throat and broke eye contact.

I smiled a little.

"Listen, um... Remember when I said that...I didn't get you anything for White Day, so that's why I was coming here?"

I nodded.

He walked around the table and pulled a small, white package out of his robe pocket. He pressed it into my hands. "I...I hope you like it." Then he walked away.

I looked after him until he was out of sight, then looked at the package. I opened it and pulled out two hair ribbons. Orange.

I smiled a little. His color, I thought. Good thing orange goes well with purple. I pulled at a strand of my hair and looked at the highlights.

A knock made me look up. It was the hostess. She smiled a little at me as she came into the room. "Excuse me," she said, bowing. "But a package has just arrived for Miss Sachiko."

"Oh, she's right in here," I said.

She followed me to the other room.

"There's a package for you, Saki."

"You saved me," she said, letting go of the control rods on the table. "I can't play this game to save my life."

"Did you beat Kyo?" Momiji asked happily.

"Yep," I said proudly.

"Yay!" he cheered.

I laughed a little.

"Who's the package from?" Sachiko asked the hostess.

"Master Hatsuharu."

Her face flushed as she took it in her hands. She opened it to find two hair ribbons. Black with white spots.

I smiled widely as she blushed. I held out my hair ribbons for her to see before tying them in my hair.

We both smiled at each other.

"Miki!" Momiji called as he ran out. "Kiku beat Kyo at ping-pong!"

We laughed a little and followed him.

Before going outside, though, I veered off towards the boys' room, where I figured Kyo was hiding.

I knocked on the door quietly.

"Come in," I heard him say.

I slid open the door a little bit. "Kyo?"

He jumped up from where he'd been laying on the floor. "Kiku," he said.

I stepped all the way in. "I just..." I smiled at him. "I wanted to thank you for the hair ribbons," I said, tugging at them a little. "Orange goes very well with purple."

Even in the dim light, I could tell he was blushing, which, of course, made me blush as well.

"And I also wanted to thank you for coming with us. Despite what you think, it does matter to me that you came. I knew that I wouldn't have been able to fully enjoy myself had I known that you were sitting at home by yourself, sulking."

He ran his hand through his hair, looking at the floor.

I rubbed my neck, not knowing what else to say. "All I really want to do is hug you, but..."

He smiled a little.

I stepped closer and did something a little...risky. And uncharacteristic.

I kissed him on the cheek.

"You do matter, Kyo. I care about you. Stop thinking that I think otherwise."

We were both blushing like crazy.

He just stared at me, utterly surprised.

Before I started hysterically laughing for no particular reason, which I knew I would, I turned and walked out.

I always laugh hysterically at the worst times, I thought. I remember laughing at Grandma's funeral. At Dad's. When the doctors were pulling me out of Mom's hospital room after she'd died.

I remember running away from Mom's funeral and hiding under a tree, laughing as I sobbed.

Someday, I thought, they're gonna put me away for acting like that. You're not supposed to laugh at funerals, or in hospital rooms.

I heard everyone else coming and went to our room. I sat down on my mat on the floor and sighed heavily, my head in my hands. The memories were pushed to the back of my mind as I thought about what had just happened.

Okay, I thought. That's it. You've finally lost it.

But as I lay in bed that night, looking at our hair ribbons laying on the table, I thought that we must be the luckiest girls in the world right then.

I looked over at Momiji, curled up a few inches away from me. Yes, I thought. We're all very lucky. And we're thankful for every little thing.

[_The next morning_]

"I'm afraid it's time to say goodbye," the hostess said as we stood outside, waiting for our ride.

Momiji kept walking up and down in front of the gate, looking for the bus.

"But please," she said, "all of you, I do hope you'll come again soon." She was leaning on Kyo as she spoke.

"Do you have to lean on me like that?" Kyo asked annoyedly.

"Thank you," we said.

"And take care of yourself," Miki said.

"You as well, ladies," she said, leaning harder on Kyo's shoulder. "You as well."

"Ah, o-kay, heavy," he said.

"I think our driver got lost," Momiji said.

"Hey, Momiji," I said. "I guess after this we won't get to see you for a while, huh?"

"Huh?" he asked.

"I don't think we even know what year in school you'll be starting this spring," Miki said.

"Will this be your first year in middle school?" Sachiko tried.

"Nope," he said, smiling widely. "This'll be my first year of high school! And, as it turns out, I'll be going to the same high school as you! Yep, that's right! Me and Haru both!"

Sachiko's eyes widened, and she looked rather pale. I thought she was going to faint.

We were as surprised as she was, but I think for different reasons.

"Why you sneaky little-" Kyo started. "Why didn't you tell us sooner you and Haru were coming to our school? !"

"We wanted it to be a surprise!" Momiji said.

Yuki looked at us. "Ladies, I'm guessing you didn't know. But Momiji is actually the same age as you, Miss Fujioka, and Haru as well."

I tried to picture that in my head. Momiji and Haru were the same age? ! Only a year younger than Miki and I? !

"All this time, we thought he was in elementary school!" I cried.

"And now he's coming to our high school? !" Miki cried.

"Together with Haru!" Sachiko added.

I wasn't quite sure if she just sounded surprised about that, or if she was extremely happy.

"Ahhhh... I don't even know which part I should be most surprised about!" I said.

"Be surprised about everything!" Momiji said.

Well, I thought, I guess, starting this spring, high school is going to get a lot more interesting.

**3_3_3_3_3**

Shigure hummed to himself as he carried three maid outfits into the living room. "Ta-da!" he said, showing them to Haru. "What do you think? They're my White Day presents for the girls! Lovely, aren't they? Those poor girls have gone far too long without proper clothing to wear while cleaning the house."

Haru pushed the image of Sachiko in that outfit out of his mind. "It's amazing no one's locked you up yet," he said boredly, keeping his eyes on the book he was reading.

Shigure went back to humming to himself, ignoring Haru's remark. Then again, Shigure ignored most everything that didn't come out of his own mouth, so this was nothing new.


	34. First Day

**AHHH! I am so terrible T.T _Mina-san, gomen nasai!_ I am SO sososososo sorry that I haven't updated in such a long time (over a month)! I totally lost track of time over break. It's not fair to you guys...**

**I thank you all so much for your encouragement and loyalty to this story, and for being patient as I try to get back into something of a routine here in my second semester of freshman year (college).**

**I won't be doing review replies this time so you all can get right onto the story. Because you've waited long enough! Alright, let's go with chapter 34 (the start of one of my most favorite episodes in the entire series ^.^)! Happy reading!**

**-XXXIV. First Day-**

Before we knew it, spring was upon us, and it was time for a new school year! We couldn't believe that it was our second year of high school, and Sachiko's first year of high school!

Of course, there were some drawbacks to spring. Because Miki had allergies along with her asthma, she had to start wearing a mask over her mouth and nose. It was just a precaution, but she didn't want to take any risk of getting a bad reaction. Like hives.

"So, where's Yuki today?" Sachiko asked.

"He's been busy helping out with the Orientation Committee," Miki said, her voice muffled by her mask.

"It's gotta be rough," I said.

"Yeah, what with all the first-years girls' lovey-dovey attacks," Sachiko said. "I've already heard nearly every girl in my class talk about how much they want to go out with him."

Kyo rolled his eyes like, "Whatever."

We laughed.

**3_3_3_3_3**

"Um, excuse me," a first-year girl said to a second-year with the Orientation Committee. "I think I dropped my student handbook somewhere."

He sighed. "So why're you telling me?"

"Oh, is that bad?" she asked nervously.

"Where did you last see it?"

She looked at Yuki, and all her higher brain function ceased.

"Start by looking there. We'll keep an eye out for it, too. What's your name and class?"

She gaped at him, then went into full fangirl mode.

"I'm Arimori Satomi! Fifteen years old! I'm a Scorpio, blood-type B! I like arts and crafts, and everyone says I have really cute ankles!"

Sadly for Yuki, this girl wasn't alone.

"I'm Sonomiya Rina, and I was the most popular girl at my old school!"

"No she wasn't!"

Yuki and the other second-year stared at the mass of girls, clamoring to tell Yuki their whole personality make-up.

"You know, Yuki," he said, "one of these days, you have got to tell me your secret."

Yuki sighed. Sadly, it was so secret that even he didn't know it.

**3_3_3_3_3**

"He's a shoo-in for Student Council President," I said, "as popular as he is."

"Though," Miki said, "I don't think Yuki would want all that attention."

We nodded in agreement.

"Oh, I just remembered," Sachiko said. "I'm pretty sure I saw Shigure at the entrance ceremony. I thought he wasn't coming?"

"He decided to at the last minute," I said. "I talked to him. He decided, since you and Hatsuharu and Momiji were coming, that he couldn't miss it."

**F_F_F_F_F**

_"They're like younger brothers to me, Hatsuharu and Momiji, you know. And, of course, Sachiko is your and Miki's best friend. I had to come and support them."_

_I stared at him, one eyebrow raised._

_"Okay, why are you looking at me like that? Don't think I came just to look at all of the pretty high school girls. Tsk, tsk. Oh, you youngster of little faith."_

_Don't sell yourself short, I thought, after those so-called presents you gave us for White Day._

**F_F_F_F_F**

"Idiot," Kyo muttered.

"No kidding," I said.

"Speaking of Momiji and Hatsuharu... Yo, Orange-top," Miki said, poking his foot, which was propped up on his desk. "Go get 'em."

"Huh?" he asked, looking up from his book. "Why do I gotta do it? ! Make her go! She's the one that's all excited about 'em being here!" he said, pointing at me.

I rolled my eyes.

"And what kind of friends would we be if we made Kiku do that?" Sachiko asked.

"What about me? !" Kyo cried.

"Oh, you?" Miki said. "That's fine."

"You know," I said, "I was already thinking of going to find them anyway. I don't mind going."

"Take Orange-top with you," Miki said. "I think he's making my allergies act up."

"I am not! !"

I know for a fact Miki's not allergic to cats, I thought with a smile.

"Come on, Kyo," I said. "We could look for them together."

"Oh, please," he said. "I already see way too much of those guys as it is."

I leaned closer. "But meeting them at school would be a whole new experience. It could be a lot of fun!"

He looked at me for a moment, and I sensed that he was...remembering something.

I blushed at my guess of what. Especially since he was looking at the orange ribbons in my hair.

He stood and followed me.

"Be back soon!" I called over my shoulder.

**3_3_3_3_3**

"Orange-top has a hard time saying 'no' to Kiku, huh?" Miki asked.

"Very interesting..." Sachiko said. "You don't think that..."

"What?" Miki asked.

"Well, do you think something...happened between them?"

"Something like...?"

"I don't know. Just...something... I mean, he _did_ give her those ribbons and all..."

They looked at each other. "Nah!" they said in unison.

"So he got her a present," Miki said.

"Yeah, Kyo's not exactly the romantic type," Sachiko agreed.

Yet the idea that something had happened kept tugging at their thoughts. It didn't seem all that far-fetched, considering that they had noticed subtle differences in their behavior since the trip to the hot springs.

No, they thought. No way.

**3_3_3_3_3**

"So what class are Momiji and Hatsuharu in, anyway?"

I stopped walking and turned to Kyo, a nervous smile on my face.

"You don't even know? !"

I smacked myself in the forehead. "I guess I wasn't thinking!"

He sighed. "Okay, just wait here. I'll go ask."

I leaned against the wall and sighed. Geez, way to go, Kiku, I thought. You kiss him on the cheek, and suddenly you turn into an idiot who can't think straight.

Oh, wait, I already am one of those. Duh! I sighed again.

Oh, Mom...I'm just going to make a mess of everything again, aren't I?

**3_3_3_3_3**

Kyo walked over to two first-year girls. "Hey," he said. "You know a couple of guys named Sohma? One's got white hair, the other's blonde?"

"Yes," the first girl said a little nervously, smiling. "They're in our class."

"Go get 'em, will ya?"

"Okay!" they said, and scurried off.

Hell, why didn't she ask where they were before we started wandering around the whole damn school? he thought. Not that I really mind-

"Hey, man. Check it out!"

"Hmm?" He turned back around, using his cat-like hearing.

"That girl's pretty cute, huh?"

His jaw dropped in surprise and anger when he saw they were talking about Kiku.

"Yeah, I guess so," the second guy said. "But she kinda looks like an airhead."

She is not! Kyo yelled in his head. She just spaces out, is all!

"Yeah! Just my type. I'll bet I can talk her into going out with me. I don't do so hot with smart girls."

Then you don't have a chance in hell with her, Kyo thought. ...But why even let you try?

"Well, you have a point there. So what are you waiting for? Go over there and work your magic."

"Watch and learn, man-"

Kyo rushed back over to her. He punched the wall above her head and looked down at her, trying not to get caught up in her eyes like he usually did. To the untrained eye, it looked like Kyo could've been her boyfriend, standing protectively over her.

Kyo glared at the guys.

"On second thought, never mind!"

Kyo chuckled in his head as they ran away.

**3_3_3_3_3**

I felt thoroughly confused as I looked up at Kyo, practically leaning over me. I blushed. What was he doing?

He stepped back and smacked me in the back of the head. I fell foward a little when he did so. "See what happens when you stand there like a space cadet?"

"Oh," I said. "Uh...was I?"

He sighed and looked at me. "At least stay alert when you're by yourself. Or else it's gonna be your own damn fault when someone kidnaps you."

"You're right," I said, focusing on being alert and not on what I had been thinking about before.

"I said when you're alone...?" he said.

"Right," I said.

"You don't have to worry about it if you're with me. You can space out as much as you want."

"Right," I said, relaxing against the wall.

Kyo started, as if just realizing what he'd said. "And I didn't mean anything funny by that, either! I was just sayin'! S-so don't get the wrong idea!"

I looked at him. "Huh? I- What do you mean?" I asked.

He grunted and blushed. "Mm..."

**3_3_3_3_3**

What the hell am I saying? ! he asked himself. I sound like an idiot! It's like she gives you a little peck on the cheek, and suddenly you're a blabbering idiot who can't even control his own damn mouth! Get a hold of yourself, Kyo!

He wouldn't tell Kiku, but he had been thinking a lot about what happened at the hot spring. He kept picturing a younger her dancing with fireflies in a field under a full moon. That might sound a little strange, but what he kept seeing was this ethereal being, floating between the the earth and the realm of the fireflies. And it startled him every time he looked at her, realizing that that ethereal being was standing right in front of him.

He wondered what it meant, that he was thinking these things about her -things that he had never thought about any girl before. He wondered what it meant that he couldn't seem to get her out of his head. (Not that living in the same house helped much.)

He wondered what he was supposed to do, how we was supposed to react to these feelings he couldn't understand.

Of course, all his confusion did nothing but make him even more angry. But that's Kyo.

**3_3_3_3_3**

Before I could ask Kyo what was wrong, I heard my name being called. I turned to see Miki and Sachiko approaching.

"There you are," Miki said. "Thought we'd come help you look."

They looked at me and Kyo.

"Are...you guys alright?" Sachiko asked.

"Fine," Kyo mumbled.

"Never better," I said, smiling. I glanced over their shoulders. "Ah! Momiji!"

They turned and followed my line of sight.

"Kiku! Miki! Sachiko!"

All our jaws dropped.

Kyo hit Momiji on the head before he could hug any of us. "What are you, stupid? !"

"Waahhh! Kyo's hitting me!" he wailed.

"Idiot! What the hell are you doing wearing a girl's uniform? !"

Yeah, that was why we were so surprised. He was wearing shorts instead of a skirt, but, still... It was pretty plainly seen that he was wearing the wrong uniform.

"Kyo, quit causing a scene," Miki said annoyedly.

"Good morning."

We all turned to look at Haru.

"Oh, Hatsuharu," I said.

Sachiko was silent, staring at Haru.

Miki and I laughed a little.

He smiled a little at her when he saw the ribbons in her hair, and she started blushing.

"Well, at least you're not wearing a girl's uniform, too," Kyo said.

"It's okay, isn't it?" Haru asked. "It suits him."

"Yeah!" Momiji said, suddenly cutting off his wailing.

"What difference does that make? !" Kyo shouted.

"What the-?"

I'm getting whiplash from turning around so much, I thought, looking at Yuki.

"Momiji, what on earth are you wearing?"

"Hi, Yuki!" Momiji said happily.

Haru stared at Yuki for a moment, then scurried over to him, grabbing his shirt in his hands.

Yuki sighed. "Hello, Haru."

"So, Yuki, are you finished with all of you work yet?" Miki asked.

"No, not quite," Yuki said. "I was just making the rounds and I heard the commotion."

"Hey! Listen! Listen!" Momiji said, waving his arms. "I'm really not supposed to goof around too much when I'm here. 'Cause if I do, it'll be too easy for me to crash into girls! So I'm gonna try and play it cool at school!"

"How the hell can you call wearin' a dress 'cool'? !" Kyo yelled.

"A valid point, Kyo Sohma, Class 2-D," a voice said.

We all looked up.

"Oy vey," we three girls muttered.

"And while I find that orange head of yours disagreeable, I will ignore it for the moment. What I cannot ignore is a boy who would wear a girl's uniform to school! This goes beyond outrageous! And even if your teachers allow it, I will not! For I am this school's Student Council President, Makoto Takei! Also known as...Captain of the Campus Defense Force!"

Two girls at his sides clapped.

"What a complete idiot," Kyo, Yuki, and Haru said together.

We laughed a little.

Momiji just looked confused.

"I can see already that you're going to be a problem student!" he said to Momiji. "And the same goes for you, Hatsuharu Sohma! I will not tolerate that white hair! Or those gaudy necklaces!"

"'Gaudy'? !" Sachiko hissed. "Let me at 'im!"

Miki and I held her back. I saw Haru smile a little at her.

"President Takei, it's his natural color," Yuki said.

"Oh, Yuki," he said annoyedly. "So nice to see you. But 'natural color'? ! I can see that his hairline is black!"

"Yes, that's natural, too," Yuki said.

"That's ridiculous! I don't believe it!"

Haru had started twisting one finger in his ear, probably in an attempt to pop his ear drum so he wouldn't have to listen to Takei rant on.

This is a problem, I thought. I guess we can't really tell him Haru's hair is like that because he's a cow... Just like we can't say Kyo's hair is like that because he's a cat.

Kyo glared at him, Haru stared at the wall, and Yuki just stared at the floor.

Oy vey, I thought.

"And I suppose wearing this dress is 'natural' for you, Momiji Sohma? !"

Why does he keep calling it a dress? I wondered.

"Uh...uh..." Momiji stuttered.

"Have you no pride as a man? ! You had best change your ways, and your clothes! Before this incident becomes the ruin of your life!"

Momiji sniffled. "But, uh...this uniform...looks better on me."

I stepped in front of him. "Please, don't yell at him anymore," I said.

Had I been in middle school, I probably wouldn't have asked that nicely. I probably would've said something like, "Quit yelling at him, you jerk!" and then I would've decked Takei. But, like I said, I wasn't in middle school anymore. Besides, I had Kyo for that now!

...I'm kidding. Seriously.

Momiji grabbed onto the back of my shirt and peeked around to look at Takei.

"If I am yelling, Kiku Oshiro, it is to be sure he hears this advice, which should've been obvious to anyone with common sense! Also for the time being, Kiku Oshiro, Sachiko Fujioka, I will ignore that color in both of your hair as well."

"Would you believe it's natural?" Sachiko asked.

"Very funny, Sachiko Fujioka."

She shrugged.

"Shut up."

Takei's jaw dropped.

"Quit shoutin' like you're kind of the freakin' world. You're making my ears bleed, you bastard!"

All our eyes widened as we looked at Haru.

Or...maybe I would've said something like that back in middle school, I thought.

Haru walked away from Yuki and toward Takei. "Now I've got some 'common sense' for you."

Takei took a step back with every step Haru took forward.

"If I wore a tie, it wouldn't change who I am. If I had no piercings, it wouldn't mean I'm 'nice'. And if my hair was black, it wouldn't stop me from kickin' your ass!" He grabbed Takei's shirt in his fist. "Who do you think you are, anyway? Do you think you're God? Huh?"

We all looked at him nervously. "Black Haru..." we whispered in unison.

He started shaking Takei. "What's the matter? Run out of things to say? No more advice? ! You're not so high and mighty now, are you?"

Takei's cohorts cried out worriedly.

"Hey! Cut it out! He's just an idiot!" Kyo yelled.

"Shut up!" Haru yelled back, swinging Takei around in a circle next to him. "No one asked you, you stupid cat!"

That's Yuki's line, I thought.

"Don't call me stupid, you little brat!"

Haru stopped and glared at Kyo. "You run away from our last fight, and you still think you can tell me what to do? !"

"What? !" Kyo shouted. "You were the one who called it off, remember?"

"Well, I'm calling it back on!"

"That's just fine with me!"

Takei's cohorts tried to comfort him as they picked him up off the floor.

"Hey, girls, you want some candy?" Momiji said, smiling and holding out three suckers.

"Uh, no thanks, Momiji," we said, not taking our eyes off the fight.

"Hey, sweetheart," Haru said, putting a hand on each of the girls' shoulders.

"Leave them alone!" Kyo growled.

"Tell me somethin'. You ladies think Momiji's outfit is okay, don't you? In time, after he grows up some more, then he'll be able to start wearing men's clothing. And if you think he looks good in that girl's uniform, just imagine what he'll look like as an adult."

From the looks on their faces, that was exactly what they were doing. "Lovely..."

"Don't be brainwashed!" Takei ordered.

Haru put his hand on Momiji's head. "For now, he should wear the clothes that look best on him."

"No! There's a dress code! It's not fair to the other students!"

"You stubborn idiot," Haru said. "What would you do if it was Yuki wearin' a girl's uniform?"

Now it looked like Takei was the one imagining.

Miki put her face in her hands as she turned bright red. I put a hand on her shoulder. She was shaking, and I knew she wasn't crying.

"Haru, cut it out or I will cut you off," Yuki said.

"Aw, have my words...made you angry?" Haru asked.

"It's beautiful!" Takei cried.

"Stop imagining me!" Yuki yelled.

It was all I could do not to burst out laughing.

Takei started. "Oh my... I guess I got carried away..."

The two girls were still picturing Momiji, I guessed, since they were still staring dreamily off into space.

"You are a worthy opponent, Hatsuharu Sohma, but still... Your hair is unacceptable! And you'll never convince me that's your natural color!"

Haru stared at him.

Takei chuckled smugly.

Then Haru grabbed Takei's shirt in his fist and dragged him off. Into the bathroom?

What the...? I wondered.

Silence fell over our group. No one spoke or moved.

Haru and Takei came back out a few moments later. They walked over to us.

Haru looked very smug.

Takei looked...shaken.

Takei took his glasses off. "Impressive evidence," he said, his voice shaky. "There are still many strange things in this world that are unknown to me."

Yuki and Kyo started.

"He didn't!" Kyo said in disbelief.

"I think he did!" Yuki cried.

Haru smirked and laughed once.

"You may have won today, Sohma!" Takei yelled, pointing at Haru as he and the girls ran off. "But you won't be so lucky next time! I'll get you! I'll get you all!"

Who does he think he is, I wondered, the Wicked Witch of the West? Surprised he didn't say, "I'll get you, my pretties! And your little dog, too!" ...Does that make Shigure our "little dog"? Now I'm just getting carried away with this.

Momiji looked at us. "So, who were those people, anyway?" he asked.

"Beats the hell outta me," Haru said.

Sachiko turned to him. "Um, Haru? I don't get it. How did you convince Takei that that's your natural hair color?"

I saw Yuki and Kyo start again and stare at Sachiko.

Haru smirked. "Alright." He stepped closer and put a hand on her cheek and under her chin, pulling her closer.

I could practically see a shiver running down her spine.

"Why don't you come with me and see for yourself?"

Kyo and Yuki ran up, both of them decking Haru at the same time.

"That Black Haru is too much," Kyo muttered.

"So...how _did_ he do it?" Miki asked.

"Never mind," Yuki said. "Don't worry about it, ladies."

Haru sat up, putting a hand to his head. "Why do I feel so exhausted?"

Yuki and Kyo sighed and slumped forward.

"Oh brother... You think _you're_ exhausted?" Kyo asked.

The bell rang and we all looked up.

"There's the bell," I said. "We'd better get back to class."

"I already am!" Sachiko said.

"What do you mean?" Miki asked.

"I'm in the same class as Momiji and Haru!" She skipped off into the classroom.

Kyo gave me a look.

I laughed softly, then smiled and shrugged apologetically.

"So we'll come find you all later," Miki said.

"Bye!" I said.

Kyo and Yuki trudged along after us.

"Um, actually... Yuki! Kyo!" Momiji called. "I have something I need to tell you. Could you stay for a minute?"

They looked back at him, then at us.

"That's alright," I said. "We can go ahead and walk back by ourselves."

"See ya!" Miki said as we turned to walk away.

"Wait!"

We turned back.

"I have to get something from my locker. It's down by your guys'," Sachiko said.

"Alright," we said, then went away.

Wonder what Momiji has to tell them, I thought as we walked away. Oh, well. If it's that important, I'm sure we'll hear about it.


	35. Unexpected Guest

**Alright! I finally got a free afternoon to do some updating! YAY! Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU everyone for your wonderful reviews! I'm sorry I'm still not updating as quickly as I used to T.T Working on it, though!**

**indescribablemusic: AH! Thank you so much! :D I'm glad you like it!**

**Maddie: Yeah, sorry I didn't do replies in the last chapter T.T I was just trying to get the chapter up so everyone could read it, and didn't have a whole lot of time to do replies. But now I do! haha Glad you liked the chapter! :D**

**Mila: Seriously, right? I just wanna punt Takei through a brick wall. -.- hahahahaha I know! I DIED when I first watched this episode. SO FLIPPIN' FUNNY! My mom even cracked up! (She loves **_**Furuba**_** xD) HA! Thank you! *grin* I added in that last part about Shigure right before I posted -thought it'd be funny xD Thank you so much! :D**

**Alexis Castle: Thank you so much! :D Glad you're liking it ^.^ And let me know what you think of any of my other things! Thank you again!**

**tikarose: Bow before me? :3 *blush* AWW! Thank youuu! You get a virtual tackle-glomp for that! *tackle-glomp* Thank you so much! ^.^**

**EMISHAE! ...Yeah, I put your name in caps xD Ah! I'm so happy that you've caught up! YAY! XDDD Thank youu! I added that line in about having Kyo for that at the last minute XD It made me laugh, too hahaha Ha, that's okay! I keep forgetting to bring it up because I just picture them that way in my head soyeah haha Kiku has purple streaks, and Saki has red streaks ^.^ HA! Thank goodness for Scree, eh? XD I didn't get it for a long time either! My friend's little sister actually ended up telling me. *sweatdrop* XD Thank you, thank you so much, my friend! :D (Oh, and I shall be updating **_**WSI**_** today, I hope! ^.^)**

**D.W: Why are you a kitty? O.o Aw, I'm sorry your program won't open! But I LOVE "Lovely Traces iPod". That made me so flippin' happy *big smile* That and the fact that you like Hawk Nelson and The Ready Set :D I'll have to look up the songs I don't recognize! Thank you so much! :D**

**LunaCullen16: Here be the update! Thanks for reading! :D**

**Alright, everyone, let's get on with this. No more suspense! Read on! (And many thanks again!)**

**-XXXV. Unexpected Guest-**

Yuki and Kyo looked at Momiji and Haru.

"So?" Kyo asked. "What do you want to tell us? This sure as hell better be important."

Momiji's complacent, happy face fell, and he looked down at the floor. He looked sad now, for some reason. "Uh-huh," he said as he nodded.

**1_1_1_1_1**

"That was quite a scene back there," I said.

"Yeah," Sachiko said, laughing a little.

"If every day's going to be like this, I think it'll drive Yuki and Orange-top crazy!" Miki said.

We laughed.

"You all seem to be in a good mood."

We froze and turned to look at who had spoken.

It was a boy. Probably about our age. He wore all black, and had dark hair.

I felt a strange presence about him. Something dark. Something sinister. ...And maybe even evil.

**3_3_3_3_3**

"I heard _he_ was here. He's here at the school. Akito!"

Momiji's statement startled Yuki and Kyo.

"We just found out about it ourselves," Haru said.

They all looked at each other, slight nervousness in their eyes.

"Shigure told us the news," Haru continued. "Right after the entrance ceremony. He said Akito decided at the last minute he wanted to come."

"He must've come later than everyone else," Momiji said, "but we think he's here now. When we heard, we figured it was something the two of you would want to know right away. Especially if...you don't want to see him."

Yuki turned and walked away, not saying anything.

The remaining three just stood and looked after him.

Yuki walked down the hallways, only a few students who were late for class passing by.

Akito was at the school. He wondered why, but then realized that the reasons didn't matter. He had to have come for something. Or someone.

**3_3_3_3_3**

The boy moved closer to us.

"Excuse me," I said quietly, "but are you...Akito?"

I sensed that Miki and Sachiko were surprised at my assumption. But not too surprised.

The boy smiled slightly. "Yes, I am...Miss Kiku Oshiro. Miss Miki Miyamoto. Miss Sachiko Fujioka."

We started and quickly bowed.

"Pleased to meet you," Miki said.

I don't believe it! I thought. Why would Akito be here at school? I never thought we'd have to meet him by ourselves like this, without Kyo or Yuki or anyone. Yet I'm surprised. He looks so young! And he's handsome, too! Still...this is the same person who hurt Hatori's eye...

Akito chuckled. "You're very polite. I'm glad. You seem to be good people. And not only that, you're all extremely cute."

We looked up at him, and were shocked to find him smiling. Something about his air and his voice didn't make the smile comforting at all, though. It almost scared me more, actually.

We snapped back up, Miki adjusting the mask over her mouth and nose.

"Oh, no, not really..."

"I wouldn't say that..."

"No, I don't think so..."

He chuckled again. "You're modest as well, I see... I mean it, you all really are cute." He looked at us. "I'm sorry I didn't say hello when I saw you at the main house. I tend to be rather shy around strangers. I hope you're not angry."

"No, of course not," I said.

He smiled, and I felt a shiver go up my spine. Not a good one, either.

"Well, that's good. I should introduce myself properly. I am Akito, head of the Sohma family. I'm pleased to meet you."

"Oh, no, the pleasure's all ours, really," Sachiko said nervously.

He does seem more gentle than I imagined, I said. But I still sense something...off...

"I do hope we can be friends from now on."

We looked at him.

"Just as you are with...Yuki and Kyo."

I felt my own eyes widen. I didn't exactly want to be that close to Akito. But I didn't say so. I suddenly hoped that he couldn't read minds.

"Akito!"

We all turned to see Yuki standing near the doors that we had come out of a few moments before.

His eyes were filled with a mixture of fear and nervousness. That look just deepened the feeling I had that Akito was not someone we should be associating with.

Akito smiled at Yuki. "There you are. I've missed you, Yuki. It feels like such a long time since we last saw each other, doesn't it?" he said, stepping closer to him.

"What did you do?" Yuki asked, his demanding tone tinged with fear.

"You look so grown up now. And I think you've even gotten taller..."

"What did you do?" Yuki asked again. "Tell me! What did you do to them? !"

Suddenly, I felt a hand grab my arm. I gasped, and a hand slapped over my mouth.

"Shush," a familiar voice hissed.

"Kyo?" I whispered.

"Come on," he whispered, looking at the three of us. "We're getting out of here."

"We can't leave Yuki here alone," I whispered.

Kyo opened his mouth to speak, but closed it again when Akito spoke.

"Nothing at all," Akito answered. "We were simply introducing ourselves. Right, ladies?" He turned back to us.

Kyo hid.

"Yeah," we said quietly.

When Akito turned away again, Kyo reappeared. "Come on. You don't have to be here."

"I'm not leaving."

"Me either."

"Me either."

"Dammit! Come on!"

We looked at Yuki and Akito nervously, and I felt that we needed to do something. But what?

**3_3_3_3_3**

"But now that I have you here, Yuki, there _is_ something I've been dying to ask you," Akito said, so quietly that no one else could hear. He raised his hand and put it on Yuki's cheek.

Yuki shivered in fear.

"Why did you skip the New Year's banquet? Why would you think to do such a thing? I've been quite tolerant lately, have I not? And the fact that you would do something like that... You should know it hurts me deeply."

He moved closer, whispering. "Perhaps...I need to take some time to re-educate you... In that little room I keep especially for you..."

Horrible flashbacks played before Yuki's eyes from long ago. Squeaking boards as Akito walked across them. The big doors sliding shut. Himself sitting in a corner, curled up and shaking.

_"Why don't you listen to what I say? I am the head of this family. Did you think you could go against me and not pay the price?"_

A whip cracking. Fear wracking his brain. Tears streaming down his face. His own small, scared voice.

_"Ah! Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!"_

**3_3_3_3_3**

I shook off Kyo's arm.

"Kiku! No!" he hissed.

I ran over to Akito, and, without, thinking, pushed him away from Yuki.

Yes, you read that right. I actually _pushed_ Akito, head of the Sohma family.

We all stood silently for what seemed like an eternity. It just stretched on and on, and I held my breath. Then I feared I would die if I wasn't able to take a breath soon.

Crap! What did I just do? ! I screamed at myself, trying to breath so I could apologize before Akito murdered me.

I took my hands back. "Oh, I- Uh... I'm sorry. It's just that... I think we need to be getting back to class now." My voice was shaky, making it sound like I was about to cry. I wasn't so sure that I wouldn't. "We're really late."

Akito looked at me. "I understand. Sorry to keep you. I suppose I should be getting back to Shigure and the others as well. They must be worried by now."

He turned back to Yuki.

I stared at the ground, blinking away tears.

"Yuki... I do hope you enjoy this new school year. And I would be very happy if you paid me a visit sometime soon."

I finally put my finger on it. Akito looked just like...an evil version of Yuki.

Kyo glared after Akito as he walked away.

Miki took my place next to Yuki as I walked back to Kyo and Sachiko.

I put my face in my hands. "I can't believe I pushed him!" But Yuki looked so afraid, I thought. I had to do something!

"It's okay, Kiks," Sachiko said, putting her arm around my shoulders.

"Kiku."

I looked up at Kyo.

"You're sure Akito didn't do anything?"

I shook my head. "No. He...introduced himself, and then said he...wanted to be friends..."

Kyo looked away and sighed.

"I'd better go," Sachiko said. "You okay?"

I nodded. "I'll see you after school."

She nodded and ran back to her classroom.

I sighed, brushing my bangs out of my face.

"I think you're the only person I know who's brave enough to push Akito."

My face got very hot. "I still can't believe I did that! I know that's going to come back to get me someday."

Kyo shook his left wrist, the beads on his bracelet quietly clacking together. "You don't know that," he said quietly.

I was reminded that I was still curious about that bracelet. I had never seen him without it, not even at the hot spring. It must've been important, for him to wear it all the time. Maybe it was something from his family, or maybe it had something to do with the Zodiac. But...what?

**3_3_3_3_3**

"Are you alright, Yuki?" Miki asked.

Yuki exhaled. "Yes, I'm fine," he lied, not wanting to tell her about what Akito had said, or what he had made him remember. "Miss Miyamoto?"

"Yes?" she said.

"Tell me. Akito... He really didn't do...or say anything strange to any of you, did he?"

She shook her head. "He really did just introduce himself."

"Good." Yuki smiled, but Miki saw something off about it.

"We should do something fun!" she blurted. "School gets out early today, so Kiku and Saki and I were talking about playing a game after school!"

"Even with your allergies?" he asked.

"Allergies, schm-allergies! Come on!" She grabbed his hand and ran towards Kyo and Kiku.

I don't know why seeing Akito scared him so much, she thought. But I do know that I want to do something to cheer him up. I may not be the best authority on cheering up, but, hey, a girl's gotta try, right?

**3_3_3_3_3**

Before I had a chance to ask what Kyo meant, I felt someone lightly smack me on the shoulder.

"Come on, Kiku!"

I smiled and grabbed Kyo's hand, running after Miki and Yuki.

I figured my questions could wait until later.

**;;;;;**

That afternoon, the four of us, Sachiko, Haru, and Momiji decided to play badminton.

"What am I doing here?" Kyo muttered. "I hate badminiton."

"No complaining," Miki said. "Besides, it's not like you have to play with this stupid mask on."

"Well, no one's forcin' you to play!" Kyo snapped back.

The teams were as follows: Miki, Yuki, and Momiji against myself, Sachiko, Haru, and Kyo.

"So, then," Yuki said. "We've picked teams, but what now? What are the rules?"

"You've never played before?" Miki asked.

He shook his head.

"Rules are useless in badminton," Sachiko said. "You hit the birdie as hard as you can, and your opponent will try to do the same. If you must call it a rule, then the first one to collapse from exhaustion is the loser."

"Sounds easy," Haru said.

"It sounds stupid!" Kyo yelled.

"Oh, shut up, will ya?" Miki said, rolling her eyes. "Just get into position."

"Position?" Yuki asked.

"Okay, Yuki," Miki said to him after we'd all gotten "into position." "Time to let Orange-top have it."

"Keep dreaming, Miki!" Kyo yelled back.

"You ready?" she asked Yuki, and it was clear she was smiling under her mask.

He nodded, a little uncertainty in his eyes, and I smiled a little.

"Here it comes!" Miki called, hitting the birdie.

**3_3_3_3_3**

After the entrance ceremony, Shigure had gone to Hatori's house. They were both sitting out on the back porch talking. With Akito deciding to visit the school, they had quite a bit to talk about.

"Do you know what he had to say about the girls? Said they were ugly," Shigure said. "Yes, while we were riding home in the car today..."

_"They are probably the ugliest girls I have ever seen. They're not too bright either. I doubt I have anything to worry about from girls like that. Yuki won't be interested in them for long. Neither will Kyo."_

_Akito smirked evilly as he spoke, so sure of himself._

_"And Yuki won't be able to go against me for much longer, not if he wants to be happy. After all, it's obvious that Yuki is still terrified when he sees me. I think he remembers where his true loyalties lie."_

"It's understandable, I guess," Shigure contiuned. "With as long as Yuki suffered Akito's mental abuse, it's only natural he'd carry some scars."

"But there's something Akito doesn't understand," Hatori said. "If it's possible for one person to be hurt by another, then it's possible for that person to be healed by another as well."

"Yes, that is a comforting thought." Shigure smiled. "And, since we're back on the subject, despite what he said, the girls are very cute. In a sweet way..."

"For some reason," Hatori said, "when you say that, it reeks of something illegal."

[_Back at school_]

There are things I have dreamed about all of my life, Yuki thought as the birdie was hit back and forth across the net. Things I never thought I would have. Mere fantasies.

Parents that would embrace me. A home where I could truly feel welcome. A place where everyone could smile, and laugh together. A place where I could be myself, and I could be close to the people around me. A warm place, surrounded by friends.

He looked at Miki as she raised her raquet and sent the birdie flying over the net. She smiled widely, happy that it had cleared the net.

He smiled to himself. But I know now. It wasn't all a fantasy. That place...exists.


	36. Big Brother

**Okay, WOW. Do I stink at this new routine or what? T.T I'm very sorry, everyone! To make up for it, here's a new chapter! Oh, and replies:**

**indescribable music: Aw, thank you! :D It's one of my favorites too ^.^ Mostly because of Kyo, Haru, and Momiji, butyeah XD Thank you, thank you so much!**

**Maddie: Yeah, that was one of my first thoughts when I watched this episode for the first time. Glad I could surprise you! Heheh :) Ha! It doesn't make you weird! I have a couple friends who usually end up liking the bad guys! Light from **_**Death Note**_**, Sephiroth from **_**Final Fantasy VII**_**... Yeah, it's not weird! xD Thank you so much! ^.^**

**LiveMyLife: OF COURSE I MISSED YOUUU! xD Omigosh XD I burst out laughing at your "Psycho Therapist" joke XD Clever! Very clever...! hahahaha AH I love your song choices! I looove Mayday Parade! Don't have much of their music, but I'm looking into getting more! ^.^ Love Yellowcard, too! haha ZOMG SKILLET FTW! xD Ooh, good question! Well, in this part of the story, Haru just goes Black because of Takei, but, yes, you're right, later on, he goes Black because Rin (the Horse) broke up with him. I can't give away too much, but that WILL be coming up in the future. *evil hands* hahaha I haven't really seen much of Rin yet, so I have to get more of a feel for her character. So far, I don't like her xP hahaha Thank you so much! ^.^**

**Heartfire: Thank you so much! Heh, yes... I do have a habit of writing long stories and/or chapters ^.^; Glad you like it, though! :D**

**Okay, hope you enjoy this chapter, everyone! And remember... Big Brother is watching you O.o**

**-XXXVI. Big Brother-**

"So, it's almost May," Miki said to Yuki. "Some of these should be ready to pick soon, right?"

"Uh-huh," Yuki said, looking at the garden. "I'd say...the carrots, the turnips...and the leeks."

"Orange-top will be so pleased," she said.

They laughed a little.

"Oh, and the strawberries," Yuki said, smiling.

"The strawberries are almost ready?" Miki asked excitedly. "I can't wait!"

"Yes," Yuki said. "They should be delicious."

Miki suddenly sneezed, pulling down her mask to sniffle.

"Are you okay?" Yuki asked.

"I'm fine," she said, smiling reassuringly. "I guess it's just a little chillier out here than I expected." She adjusted her mask back over her mouth.

"In that case," he said, "we're almost done here. Why don't you go back to the house?"

"Are you sure?" Miki asked.

Yuki's stomach growled. He looked at her, a little embarrassed. "Well, I'm hungry, too..."

She laughed, and he smiled. "Okay, when you put it like that." She stood. "I'll go back and we'll figure out something to eat."

It was only a few days after Akito had shown up at the school, but, already, Yuki seemed to be in a much more cheerful mood. Miki was glad about that. She didn't like seeing her friends upset. Except maybe for Kyo, but especially not Yuki.

Now then, she thought as she walked back to the house. What should we make for...lunch?

She stopped when she saw clothes and a pair of shoes on the ground. It was sort of like a long, fancy robe, but one that a guy would probably wear.

She knelt down and picked the robe up. She started. "Could this be someone...from the Zodiac? !" she asked herself, startled.

Her eyes widened as she saw something slink out from under a bush. She gasped and screamed.

Her scream echoed through the forest, and Yuki heard it, as well as all the rats in the neighboring trees.

Yuki ran to her. "Miss Miyamoto?"

She was kneeling on the ground still, shaking and shuddering. She looked at him. "There's..."

"What? !" he asked.

"There's...something under my clothes!"

He growled, ready to attack whatever it was.

Just then, a silver snake came slithering out of the back of Miki's dress.

Their jaws dropped, but Yuki seemed more angry than scared.

**1_1_1_1_1**

"Ah..." Kyo groaned. "Dammit, I'm hungry."

"We have to wait for Miki," I said. "She and Yuki are bringing back some things."

"Try being patient for once," Shigure said. "You can snack on these to tide you over."

Kyo glared at the bowl Shigure was holding. "Are you crazy? ! You know damn well I hate miso!" he yelled, smacking it out of Shigure's hand.

"You know, you really shouldn't waste food like that," Shigure said solemnly. "Terrible..."

Kyo growled at him.

We heard the front door open, and all turned.

"Ah, you see?" Shigure said. "Here they are...now?"

Yuki was holding a silver snake in his gloved hand, and put it right in Shigure's face.

Sachiko and I took a couple steps back. We weren't huge fans of snakes.

"You want lunch?" Yuki said darkly. "Here, skin this and eat it," he demanded.

Shigure looked closer. "Uh...is that...Aya?"

Kyo's eyes widened, and he backed into the kitchen with us. Somehow, I got the feeling that he wasn't afraid of the snake per se, but something about the snake... Could it be a member of the Zodiac?

"It is! But what is he doing here?" Shigure asked.

"Never mind!" Yuki snapped. "Just skin this thing and eat it!"

I could practically hear the _Psycho_ theme playing from some unknown place in the room. Possibly from Yuki's head.

"Hold on... I think you need to calm down, Yuki," Shigure said.

Shigure took the snake and put him in another room on a pillow, as well as the clothes Miki had said she'd found in the forest.

"There. We'll let him sleep for a little while," Shigure said. "That was Ayame Sohma," he said to us. "And, as I'm sure you noticed, he's the snake."

"Oh," we said.

So he _was_ a member of the Zodiac. But why had Kyo looked so afraid of him earlier?

"Snakes naturally hibernate in the winter. I imagine that's part of the reason Aya has always been sensitive to the cold."

Shigure really likes nicknames for his friends, I noticed. Hatori is Hari, Ayame is Aya... (Look who's talking, friend of Sachiko a.k.a. Saki.)

"If he's not careful, it can cause him to transform like this," Shigure continued. "Aya, Hatori, and I grew up together," he said, grinning. "We were in the same classes through grade school, middle school, and high school! We were inseperable. So much so, people called us 'The Three Musketeers'."

"More like 'The Three Idiots' if you ask me," Kyo murmured.

I pressed my lips together, trying not to smile. That seemed like a more accurate description, especially where Shigure was involved.

"How did Hatori put up with you for so long?" Yuki muttered.

We tried to stifle our laughter.

Shigure grinned at Yuki. "Soo... What did Aya do to upset you so much, Yuki?"

Miki sighed.

"I won't even say it, it's so disgusting," Yuki said.

"Come now, it wasn't so bad!" a voice said. "You could show a little more forgiveness to your own brother."

Whaa? ...Brother? I wondered.

We all looked up when we heard a poof.

"Did he say 'brother'?" Miki asked.

"Allow me to explain what happened."

I assumed it was Ayame, since he was the only other one in the house.

"I was on my way here, when a sudden chill in the air caused me to transform. In my search for heat, I sensed a warm body drawing near, and naturally, I clung to it! I suppose you could say it was...instinct."

The door slid open, and that was when we first laid eyes on Ayame. We were stunned. (Not necessarily in a good way.) He looked just like an older version of Yuki. Except his eyes were gold, and his hair was lighter and much longer. Oh, and his voice and tone gave the impression that he loved to talk about himself. He was wearing something that looked oddly like a slip. Then I saw there was a red sort of over-coat. It looked kind of...regal.

"Greetings, everyone!" he said. "And how are you, little brother?"

Yuki jumped up. "If we all followed our instincts, I would've snapped you in two when I had the chance!"

"What's the big deal?" Kyo asked. "What exactly did he do to you, Miki?"

Miki just stuttered out something we couldn't understand. No help from her, it seemed.

"Oh, Lucky Kyo, I heard you were staying here," Ayame said.

Kyo growled at him. "I told you not to call me that!"

"Lucky Kyo, you haven't changed a bit."

"I said stop!"

"It's been too long, Shigure," Ayame said, ignoring Kyo.

"Yes, since New Years'," Shigure replied.

"You haven't forgotten about me while we were apart, have you?" Ayame asked, his voice soft.

"Not a day has gone by that you haven't been on my mind, Aya," Shigure replied, mirroring Ayame's tone.

Then they gave each other a thumbs-up. "Yes!" they said together.

"I knew it," Sachiko hissed. "They're gay."

We tried to contain our laughter.

"I don't think so, Saki," I whispered.

I'm already getting the feeling Ayame's personality is very different from Yuki's, I thought.

Yuki leaned against the wall, his head in his hand.

Kyo just glared at Ayame.

"By the way, these are the young girls who have come to stay with us," Shigure said. "Sachiko Fujioka, Kiku Oshiro, and Miki Miyamoto. You came to see them, right?"

"Oh, yes that's right!"

We sat up a little straighter.

Ayame bowed to us. "I'm sorry about earlier, dear Miki," he said.

Now Yuki was glaring at him.

"I am Yuki's older brother, Ayame."

"Pleased to meet you," I said, and Miki and Sachiko nodded.

"So you really do exist..." Ayame mused. "The princesses I've...heard so much about."

What? I wondered.

"Three blooming flowers trapped in a house of stinking men! Are they treating you well, princesses?"

"You make it sound like they've been kidnapped," Shigure said.

"Brother," Yuki said angrily. "You're being rude. Stop making fun of them."

"Making fun?" Ayame asked, sounding like he was hurt by this accusation. "Honestly. I mean these fine young ladies nothing but the highest respect." He sat down next to Shigure. "So, princesses, why don't you make us some tea?" He tapped the table. "And lunch would be nice."

We looked at each other, eyebrows raised.

"That's not respect!" Yuki and Kyo yelled.

"Of course, you're right," Ayame said. "What was I thinking? Let me try again." He stood and faced us. "Come, ladies! We're going out to eat!"

He grabbed one of Miki's hands and one of mine, and took Sachiko's in the same hand as mine.

"Um...I don't know..." Sachiko said.

"Don't worry! It's my treat!" He laughed like it was the funniest thing in the world.

And we couldn't do anything but be dragged along by him and pray that we'd find some way out of this.

**3_3_3_3_3**

Yuki and Kyo glared at Shigure as the door shut.

"Now, there's no use getting angry at me..."

**3_3_3_3_3**

"Very good," Ayame said as he sat us down in the restaurant.

We were sitting on stools in front of a bar. But not like an alcoholic bar. Just...a bar. Maybe a sushi bar, I dunno.

"Feel free to order anything you like. Although I'd highly recommend the potsticker plate," Ayame said.

We looked at each other nervously as Ayame twisted his long hair into a braid. And I mean, it was _long_ hair. It went well past his waist.

But what about Kyo and Yuki and Shigure? I wondered. There's no way they can-

"Don't worry about Yuki and the others," he said. "They're big boys. I do think they can manage lunch on their own."

Okay, so it wasn't the biggest thing I was worrying about, I thought, but thanks.

"Still," Miki, the only one brave enough to sit next to Ayame, said. "I'm not sure we should've come..."

He reached over and placed his hand on her cheek. "Well, I hope you won't deny me the pleasure of treating you all to lunch."

She looked incredibly uncomfortable. "No, I, uh..." she said, leaning back. "I don't mean to sound ungrateful." She swallowed and narrowed her eyes at him. "And if you touch me again, I'll-"

"Good, then it's settled," he said, cutting Miki off. "Waiter! Four potsticker plates!"

"Coming right up."

I think we're being swept away! I thought. That and Ayame is _this_ far away from incurring the wrath of Miki (something you don't want to do, FYI).

"I have to say," I said. "It's been one surprise after another, meeting you today."

"Yeah, Yuki's never mentioned you before," Sachiko said, "let alone that you're part of the Zodiac."

Ayame smiled a little. "I suppose that shouldn't come as news to me."

The smile on Ayame's face was a little sad, and I sensed a lot of history hiding in that statement.

"As you know, Yuki and I don't get along very well. Or rather, I should say we've never really been very close."

Here it comes, I thought.

"You see, we're ten years apart. And when Yuki was born, he got sick fairly easily, so he was kept separated much of the time."

"Separated?" Sachiko wondered quietly.

"I, on the other hand, grew up doing whatever I liked. Because of our separation, I was only vaguely aware I even had a brother. By the time I realized it, a deep gap had formed between us that we've never been able to bridge. That is our story."

We all looked at Ayame in silence.

"I was told that...Yuki saw Akito the other day at school. You three met him too, I think? How do I put this...? I've never had much ineraction with him myself, but, for Yuki, Akito is a source of great fear. Even now, at his age, I'm not sure that fear has subsided."

That explains a little bit of why he was so afraid when he saw Akito, I thought. Wonder if Ayame knows I'm the girl who pushed him?

"And so...while I _did_ want to meet you all today, more than that, I wanted to make sure Yuki was alright. I'm glad to see he's doing well, but I _was_ hoping I'd have a chance to play the big brother."

"Do you still hope that?" I asked. Maybe he's trying to close the gap, I thought.

"It's odd in a way. The more the years go by, the more I come to understand things I didn't understand when I was a child. I think, 'When that happened, I should've done this,' or 'When that happened, I should've said this.' That sort of thing. Only now have I begun to realize all the ways I could have been a better brother then. And I confess I feel a certain amount of regret that things are the way they are. I wish I could go back and correct the mistakes I made as a child. But I suppose every adult wishes that to some degree."

I suddenly had a thought. "You know, my mom..."

They all looked at me.

"My mom told me one time... When she first became a parent, she finally understood how it felt to be an adult."

"I remember you telling us about that," Sachiko said. "And she said that, as important as that was, she said never wanted to forget. She always wanted to remember how it felt to be a child."

"I remember, too," Miki said. "Like the first time you turned a flip on the monkey bars. Or the first time something upset you. She said, if you can remember those feelings, then, when you become an adult and have children of your own, you'll be able to understand each other much better."

Ayame looked at us.

"And, even when you don't agree," I said, "you can still meet half-way."

_"Besides,"_ I remembered her saying, _"it's just more fun to think that way, you know?"_

We looked at Ayame.

"Oh, sorry," Miki said. "We're supposed to be talking about you and Yuki."

"Guess we got a little sidetracked there," Sachiko said.

"I know I had a point in bringing that up..." I looked at Ayame. "Maybe you and Yuki can try to meet each other half-way."

Ayame stared at me.

"Here you go!"

We turned to our food.

"I guess that doesn't make any sense," I said.

"No, it does," Ayame said. "Some people say the greatest things, don't they?"

"Oh, yeah," I said. "Mom was the greatest!"

"True that!" Miki and Sachiko said.

"Um... Actually, I was talking about you three, but either way..." He poked at a potsticker with his chopsticks. "I think...I understand now. Why it is my brother's doing so well lately."

We looked at him, then looked back at our food.

"Listen...as far as Yuki goes...I promise I'll keep trying. And you...you girls...especially you, Miki...I hope you'll continue to be there for him when I can't."

We looked at Ayame. I studied the look on his face. It had changed again. What was it? Was it resolution? Maybe determination?

[_Back at the house_]

"Oh, ladies!" Yuki said as we walked back into the house. "Are you all okay?"

"Yep," Miki said.

"Just fine," Sachiko said.

"Did everyone get something to eat?" I asked, hoping that he didn't notice that I was holding my jacket shut in a rather odd, unnatural manner.

"Never mind about that," Yuki said quickly. "Did my brother give you any trouble?"

"No, not at all," Miki said. "He bought us potsticker plates."

"Um...Yuki?" I asked.

He looked at me.

"I was wondering... Well, do you really not like your brother? I mean, I know it's not really any of my business. I was just curious."

Yuki smiled a little. "I wouldn't say I...dislike him. He's just a little too much for me sometimes."

"Well, if that's all, we can overcome it!"

Yuki glared at where the voice had come from. Namely, from inside my jacket.

I laughed nervously.

"I will do all in my power to meet you half-way...my brother!" Ayame slithered out of the front of my jacket.

Yuki stared at him in utter shock.

I heard a thud, and looked to see Kyo on the ground next to the stairs. Was he listening in? I wondered. Oh, and then...he saw Ayame... Yeah... I blushed.

"Uh...you see..." Sachiko stuttered. "It got really cold on the way home from the restaurant, and he transformed!"

"And then he said that if snakes get too cold, they can die," Miki said matter-of-factly.

Yuki bent his head forward and sighed.

Ayame wrapped up around my head and I shivered. "Well, I am a snake," he said.

Yuki's eyes opened wide and he glared at Ayame. He grabbed him. "You may be a snake, but you're no brother of mine!"

Ayame laughed as Yuki swung him around the house. "Ah, ha ha ha ha! You can't change the truth, Yuki!"

"Ah, welcome back," Shigure said as he walked in, ignoring the fact that Yuki was beating up Ayame. He seemed to ignore most things like this. But maybe that was just how he operated.

But, Yuki, I thought. If you could've seen the look on his face at the restaurant...you'd know that Ayame truly cares about you. Maybe someday...

"Shigure...have you picked out a place for me to sleep tonight?"

"Oh, you're staying over?"


	37. Stories and Qualities

**WOOT another update! Alright! So how close is everyone to summer break? I (apparently) have three weeks left! Then I start work! Oddly enough, I shall have more time for updates then, though *sweatdrop* I truly am sorry everyone, and I hope you are enjoying these updates.**

**Goodness, so many reviews for this chapter! :O THANK YOU, EVERYONE! :D Well, I shall get on with the replies so you can read Chapter 37!**

**indescribable music: I wish that too! I always thought Ayame was totally crazy, but he's just hilarious! xD Well, when I first wrote it, I was following the anime. But now that I've finished reading the manga (FINALLY), I may tweak some things... Yeah. haha**

**Maddie: Omagoodness, I missed you! hahaha ZOMG My reaction tooo! hahaha Their mom **_**does**_** look really young, I noticed that too! Gah, I hate her... Anywhoo... HAHA That's what the real Sachiko said when we first watched it. Or something like that. I think she said, "What the...? They're not gay, are they?" I burst out laughing and told her no. XD Yellowcard and Mayday Parade ARE awesomeness! :D Light is **_**totally**_** messed. I can't even... XD**

**S C A N D A L: OMIGOSH kdngkjsdbgkjsdt It's youuu! I've been enjoying "A Lost Flower" SO MUCH! I seriously jumped up and down with happiness when I got your message that you'd dedicated it to me. *teary eyes* You are seriously so sweet! Thank you so much for your review!**

**Tikarose: Yeah, after the story gets through where the anime ends, I plan to continue on with the manga, tweaking a few things here and there. I hope it works! haha Thanks so much!**

**stabbythings: Don't worry about it! Gosh, I'm so messed with these updates anyway... haha Glad you liked it! ^.^**

**Mila of the Seven Senses: OH I can imagine XD That's something I've been thinking long and hard about. I had an original idea for Rin, but that was before I finished the manga. I'm still not a huge fan of her (or of her pairing with Haru...), but I'm sure I'll figure something out :) Thank you so much for your review! ^.^**

**LiveMyLife: AH I have been too! I just had a huge paper due in History this week. BLEH. I hate essays. But HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY! *like, a month late* I'm glad you got your laptop back! I always love to see your song selections :3 They make me so happy ^.^ Thank you so much!**

**ALRIGHT. Let's go!**

**-XXXVII. Stories and Qualities-**

Kyo heard the quiet beeping of his alarm clock and stirred a little. He turned over onto his other side, and tiredly noticed Ayame sleeping next to him.

Kyo's eyes closed for a split second. Then they flashed open again, and he screamed as his alarm starting beeping louder.

He lay there for a few moments after he was done screaming, frozen in place.

Ayame stirred a little and moved closer, putting his arms around Kyo. "Hush, I'm still sleeping," he murmured.

**1_1_1_1_1**

"Get offa me! ! !"

I bolted up out of bed. "Huh? Wha? ...Kyo?" I asked myself.

Then I heard crashing.

"Yep, definitely Kyo." I threw my blankets off and went out into the hallway.

Kyo was standing there glaring at Ayame, who going down the stairs.

"What happened?" I asked, running a quick hand through my hair.

"That damn snake was sleeping in my bed!"

I shuddered. "Yikes."

"Yeah, no kidding," he said.

We went downstairs after that, and I started making breakfast.

Miki and Sachiko came down to help a few minutes later.

"I'm sorry, but I had no other choice," Ayame said as we sat down. He had a bandage on his forehead and a few bruises.

Go, Kyo, I thought.

"Yuki locked the door to his room, so I couldn't sleep in there!"

Go, Yuki.

"Why the hell didn't you go to Shigure's room, like yesterday? !" Kyo shouted.

"Because, if I had...Shigure would've kept me up all night."

"Aya," Shigure chastised. "Not in front of the children, please."

"Oh, cut it out!" Kyo yelled.

Yuki looked like he was concentrating very hard on ignoring Ayame. It was difficult for me to do so, since I'd been given the oh-so wonderful opportunity to sit next to him.

"Don't worry," Ayame said. "If it bothers you that much, tonight I'll sleep in Kiku's room."

My eyes widened and my face flushed.

"You will not!" Kyo and Yuki shouted together.

"Aya, don't annoy the girls," Shigure said. "Any one of them could take you out with one punch."

"You know it," I said.

It was the morning of the third day since Ayame had come to visit. Unfortunately for him, it seemed that the gap between him and Yuki had only grown wider. We girls weren't huge fans of Ayame. We tolerated him, like Kyo and Yuki. Just a little less...outspokenly.

We told Momiji and Haru about it when we got to school.

"Really! Aya's there? I haven't seen him since New Year's!" Momiji said excitedly.

Miki and I were sweeping the parking lot (part of a second-year clean-up something or other), and Momiji was standing next to us. Haru and Sachiko were sitting under a nearby tree together, looking at a butterfly in Haru's hands.

They really are cute, I thought.

Maybe now is a good time to stop and explain how their...well, "relationship" was going. Sachiko told us that they were nothing but friends. But they were in the same class, so they saw each other every day. Then he sometimes came back with us after school, and she showed him some stuff on the guitar.

From where I stood, they both really liked each other. He rarely ever went Black when she was around. Seemed like she was improving his disposition. That's something, right?

"For three days now," Miki said, answering Momiji. She was using her low, annoyed tone that usually meant she wanted to punch someone. Not good, especially with Momiji standing next to her.

"Maybe I'll go visit him!" Momiji said. "Oh, then again, he probably just wants to spend time with Yuki. Which reminds me... How is Yuki?"

"Uh, well..." I started.

Haru gasped a little and looked up, the butterfly flying away. "Yuki..."

We looked over and saw Yuki walking into the building, at a door some distance away.

"What, is he sick?" Momiji asked worriedly.

"No, not exactly," Miki said.

"Don't worry," Haru said. "I get it." He stood up, and reached his hand down to help Sachiko up. "Yeah... Uh-uh... Figures."

"Hey, Haru," Momiji said. "Is it weird for Aya to leave his shop? I mean, he _is_ the owner."

"Ayame runs his own business?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. Strange that he could do that _and_ take care of himself, I thought.

"That's right," Haru said. "He sells outfits for nurses, stewardesses, maids, things like that."

We stared at him, then scooted closer.

"So then...he makes, uh...uniforms?" Sachiko asked hopefully.

"Well, uh...not exactly," Haru answered.

"Aya says he makes fantasies come true!" Momiji said.

Oh. My. Gosh, was practically written on our faces. Our worst fears were confirmed. Could it be true that there was another pervert in the Sohma family?

I think we all know that that is a thoroughly stupid question.

**;;;;;**

The five of us went right home from school that day.

"My, my!" Ayame said as we walked in. "This is unexpected!"

"Dammit..." Kyo sighed annoyedly.

"He's here..." Yuki said in disbelief.

"Welcome back!" Shigure said.

"But how nice!" Ayame said. "You boys wanted to see me so badly, you came straight home from school. And here I thought _the girls and I_ would have the whole afternoon to ourselves!"

"That's what we were afraid of!" Kyo and Yuki shouted together.

We looked over at Shigure, and noticed an open book lying on the table.

"What's that you were looking at?" Miki asked.

"Oh, just some old albums of us in our high school days. See? There's Hatori, too!" Ayame said.

We went over and looked at the pictures.

Was Shigure as obsessed with high school girls then as he is now? I thought dryly. Wow, I thought as we looked through the pictures. Shigure and Hatori both look so young! Like little kid versions of themselves... (Duh.) And Ayame looks just like Yuki does now. I can only imagine how Yuki feels about that.

"Pretty cute, weren't we?" Shigure asked.

Maybe, I thought, but, really, they were.

"So you wore your hair long, even when you were in high school, Ayame?" Sachiko asked.

We tried not to draw too much attention to Yuki, who was looking over our shoulders at the pictures as well.

"That's right," Ayame said. "Of course, I had to bend a few rules."

We raised our eyebrows at him.

"Here, Yuki! You come look, too! Now's your chance to learn something new about your brother!"

"I'll pass, thank you," Yuki said, turning away.

"Then you leave me no choice," Ayame said. "I'll simply have to tell you the whole story of how I got to keep my long hair at school."

"What for? !" Yuki snapped.

Ayame continued as if Yuki hadn't spoken. "See...it was the very start of my first year in high school..."

"You like hearin' yourself talk, dont'cha?" Kyo asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" I said.

_"I allowed the color, but I didn't allow you to wear your hair long. Have it cut by tomorrow."_

_"I'm sorry sir...but...I come from a royal family. I've kept it a secret until now, but soon I must return to my own country."_

Probably somewhere like Saturn, I thought. Or Pluto. Even though it's technically not a planet anymore.

_"And it is our age-old custom that members of the royal family should always wear their hair long, in honor of the high king Rurubara, who, it is said, during the fourth year of his reign, was visited by a divine image. It was Kandra, shimmering with heavenly light of red and gold! Kandra began to chant, 'Ma Rudu Muni!' And a blue light burst forth from his forehead._

_"At this moment, Rurubara's true spirit was set free! And just as the vast springs of strength and wisom were swelling within him, so too did his hair begin to sprout forth from his head!_

_"At this same moment, the prince Kasipaloo, who had been sleeping securely in his bed, let out a mighty cry. 'Kanpanil!' he shouted-"_

_"Uh, excuse me, I just remembered, I'm late for a very important meeting." The principal turned to walk away._

_Ayame put his hand on his shoulder. "But I still have more to tell you about Kandra."_

_"No! It's fine! Your hair is fine!"_

"And that's how I convinced him to let me wear my hair long."

We all hung our heads, either from embarrassment or from shock at such a ridiculous story.

"You're not from a royal family..." Miki said. To Miki's disappointment, Yuki was not actually a prince.

"Duh! He was lying! Come on!" Kyo shouted.

"I knew that! You wanna take this outside, Orange-top? !"

Shigure sighed happily, ignoring the makings of a fight next to him. "Those were the days."

Yuki slapped his hand over his face. "Idiots."

"And here's something else I bet you didn't know," Shigure said. "Aya was Student Council President."

I tried to picture that. Ayame in a big purple, leopard-print coat, with the Student Council band on his arm. Then Hatori walking by and saying, "Quit fooling around. Let's go." And Ayame skipping off after him.

After spending three days with Ayame, it didn't seem that far-fetched.

"He was a natural choice, I suppose," Shigure said. "What with the way he looked and the way he acted, he was really very popular with the other boys." (All-boys school.) "And under his term, many of the old school rules were...relaxed. You certainly had a way about you," he said to Ayame.

"I don't know," Ayame said, chuckling. "I always thought Hari would've made a much better president than me. Do you remember? The time we all went on that class field trip?"

"Of course!" Shigure said. "How could I forget?"

"So...what happened?"

I couldn't believe my ears. Yuki was actually asking Ayame to tell a story? Probably gonna be as ridiculous as the last one, I thought.

"Yes, well, you see...there was a group of students during this trip who, we'll say...wandered into the 'red-light district'."

We all stared at him, wide-eyed.

"Please, reserve your judgment until I've explained. Although, it would've been difficult for any healthy young man to resist this place, we weren't actually the ones that went."

We all slumped over again.

"Of course, it's not like we hadn't seen it before," Shigure said.

"Idiot," Yuki muttered.

"I can't believe he just said that out loud," Kyo said under his breath.

"I can," Miki replied.

"As it happened, one of the teachers found out where they'd gone, and then...it was decided that all of the boys were to be expelled from school. Naturally, as Student Council President, I objected! A meeting was called between the students, their parents, the principal, and the teachers involved."

_"For a group of minors to set foor in a red-light district...this is by no means an act to be praised," Ayame said. "Laws are put in place to be obeyed. Otherwise, we lose order. And with that being said, I must also express my concern over what I see as a condemnation of our natual human instincts! I submit that the desires which led these boys astray were fueled by perhaps the most noble of human instincts- the instincts to procreate the species! Should we damn them for feeling these natural urges?"_

_"President...!"_

_"Ayame, you're being unusually serious today," the principal said._

_"Yes," a teacher said. "Quite a departure from your normal antics."_

_"At this time," Ayame continued, "I would like to offer you a proposal! Let us offer a hand of rescue to these wayward youths. Let us help them to understand their sometimes confusing natural desires."_

_He slammed his palms down on the table. "From now on, they may direct their desire toward me!"_

_They all stared at him in shock and disgust._

_"As a chosen representative of this student body, it is only fitting that this heavy burden should fall on my shoulders. And furthermore... Since we will all be boys, parents and teachers will have nothing to fear! So send me your desire! In the service of my fellow students, I am prepared to receive!"_

_"He's gone mad!"_

_"Get him out of here!"_

_Two teachers grabbed Ayame and dragged him out._

_He laughed. "Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha! Don't worry! Despite how it looks, I know what I'm doing!"_

"This concludes my wonderful story."

"You mean stupid!" Kyo shouted.

"Excuse me!" Ayame said. "But because of that, everyone avoided being expelled."

"How so?" Kyo snapped.

"Well," Shigure said, "after that, Hatori stepped in and said a few words. But Aya was our president, right up until the end."

"You're kidding!" we all cried.

"What do you think, Yuki?" Ayame asked him, smiling. "Has this helped you understand your older brother?"

Yuki smiled back. "I think you should leave."

We suppressed our laughter for Ayame's sake. You could practically _see_ the gap between them.

"Well, I'll have to do better," Ayame said, determined. "Let me tell you about the time I kidnapped the school mascot!"

"No, I really think you should leave."

"It all started one spring morning..."

"Shigure! Get rid of him!" Kyo yelled.

"But why? This is fun!" Shigure said.

"Yes, it's fun!" Ayame agreed.

"You're killin' me here! !" Kyo shouted.

"Even so," Shigure said, "I really don't think he'll listen to me. The only person he does listen to is-"

"Hey."

We all looked up at the familiar voice.

"The door was unlocked, so I let myself in."

"Oh, hi, Hatori," the three of us said.

"Speak of the devil!" Shigure said happily.

"Hari!" Ayame cried. "To what do we owe the pleasure?"

"Hatsuharu."

Sachiko smiled, as if proud that he was the reason. I laughed a little and she elbowed me in the side.

"He said I should come take you home." Hatori sighed. "So why don't you wrap things up here...and we'll go."

"Well, then, bye-bye!"

We all looked at Ayame in shock. For Hatori, getting rid of Ayame was that easy? !

Ayame turned to Yuki. "I guess with all the commotion, you and I didn't get to talk much," he said.

"Weren't you the one causing the commotion?" Yuki said under his breath.

Ayame ignored him. "But don't worry. You'll see me again, little brother."

Why does that sound like a threat? I wondered.

"Alright, Hari. Ready when you are. Until next time, Shigure!"

"Yes! Now it's my turn to visit you!"

We three stood.

Ayame winked at us. "Farewell, everyone!" he called, waving. He laughed and followed Hatori. "So, are we walking?"

"I brought the car."

"Good! Can I drive?"

"No."

We sat in silence for a few moments.

"_What_...was that all about?" Kyo asked, his hand on his forehead.

"Yeah," Miki said. "How come we practically beg him to leave and he just gets more annoying, and then Hatori walks in and says, 'We're leaving'-" She dropped her voice to imitate Hatori's. "-and Ayame just jumps up and skips out the door?"

"As long as I remember," Shigure said as we looked at him, "Hari's been the only one who can tell Aya what to do. Aya really admires him. He sees a lot of good qualities in Hatori that he's always wished he had in himself. But, since he doesn't, he figures staying close to Hari is the next best thing. He actually told me that once. And with a straight face, no less.

"Anyway," he said, looking up from the closed photo album and smiling, "letting Hari boss him around is just one way Aya shows his admiration."

Hmm, I thought. I guess I can understand that... Taking Hatori's direction is Ayame's way of saying he respects his opinion and guidance, I suppose. But that still doesn't make him any less of a handful.

**3_3_3_3_3**

"I'm sorry about this," Ayame said to Hatori as they walked to the car. "Putting you to all this trouble..."

"If that's the way you feel," Hatori said, "maybe you should think before you act."

"I _did_ think," Ayame near-whined. "I thought I'd be able to get Yuki to open up to me a little bit."

"I wouldn't let it bother you just yet," Hatori said. "Yuki is still very young. Give him some time to figure things out on his own. There's no need to rush."

Ayame smiled a little. "You know, in a way, the girls reminded me of you. They're very good about considering other people's feelings. At least, they're much better at it than I am."

He laughed a little. And like you, he thought, they have a way of telling me exactly what I need to hear.

[_Back at the house_]

"Ayame's stories were...interesting," Miki said to Yuki as the two of them did the dishes.

"That man needs some serious help," Yuki said.

She laughed a little. "You're probably right."

"Although..."

She looked at him.

"The way he's not afraid to show his admiration... You know, when he sees good qualities he'd like to have in other people. That's...that's good."

_"You might not always agree, but you can always meet half-way."_

Miki smiled at him and nodded. "Yeah, it is."

[_The next day at school_]

Yuki found Haru in front of his locker. He switching his tennis shoes for his boots.

"Haru..."

He looked up at Yuki.

"Listen I...I just want to say thank you for worrying about me."

Haru smiled at him. "Sure."

_"Besides, it's just more fun to think that way, you know?"_

**1_1_1_1_1**

"Oh, we forgot to ask Ayame what kind of shop he has that sells outfits for nurses and maids to see if our theory was right," I said at lunch.

"Well, what was your theory?" Sachiko asked me.

"What was yours?" I asked back.

"What was yours, Miki?" Sachiko asked.

We all looked at each other. "A lingerie store," we said together. We sighed.

"That's Ayame for you," I said. "Completely and totally insane."


End file.
